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9/30/2005

Exclusive 50 Cent DVD Available Now With Pre-Order Purchase of 50 Cent: Bulletproof

Never Before Released 50 Cent Concert DVD 'No Fear, No Mercy Live' Only Available Through Game Pre-Order

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivendi Universal Games ("VU Games") today announced that an exclusive pre-sell offer for the gritty urban action video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof is now available at major retailers nationwide. Consumers who pre-order 50 Cent: Bulletproof at retail will receive a never-before-released 50 Cent live performance DVD "No Fear, No Mercy Live," when they pick up the game at launch. Available this holiday for PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft, 50 Cent: Bulletproof will carry an MSRP of $49.99.

Recorded live on the "No Fear, No Mercy," European tour September 14, 2003 - October 9, 2003, the exclusive DVD includes nine tracks mixed by G-Unit producer Sha Money XL. The DVD, only available through the VU Games pre-sale, features live performances of:

In 50 Cent: Bulletproof, 50 gets caught in a web of corruption, double-crosses and shady deals that lead him on a bloody path through New York's underworld. Backed-up by his G Unit soldiers, the streets heat up as 50 Cent takes on the most dangerous crime families in the city. Players assume the role of 50 Cent in a fictitious story, where they will use an arsenal of tactics including more than 25 dramatic counter kill moves, evasive rolls and mobile cover to stay alive while the bullets fly.

Penned by Emmy(R) award winner Terry Winter, 50 Cent: Bulletproof stars an unprecedented lineup of the hottest recording artists in the music industry today, including 50 Cent and G Unit's Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, as well as other hip-hop superstars.

The game also includes exclusive new tracks and remixes from 50 Cent, music from Get Rich or Die Tryin', The Massacre and more than a dozen 50 Cent and G Unit music videos.

50 Cent: Bulletproof is being created in partnership with Interscope Records, Shady Records and Aftermath Records. 50 Cent: Bulletproof will be available for PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R)Portable) system in 2006.

More information about the game can be found at http://www.the50centgame.com/.

Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games)

Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is a leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console and handheld games markets, and is an emerging player in mobile and wireless games. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment(R), Radical Entertainment(TM), Sierra(R) Entertainment, Massive Entertainment(TM) and Swordfish Studios. VU Games' library of over 700 titles features owned intellectual properties including Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R), Diablo(R) and World of Warcraft(R) from Blizzard Entertainment; Crash Bandicoot(R), Spyro The Dragon(R), Empire Earth(R), Leisure Suit Larry(TM), and Ground Control(R). VU Games also maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and Ludlum Entertainment.

"50 Cent: Bulletproof" interactive game (C) 2005 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Developed by Genuine Games, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.

"PSP" is a trademark and "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately).

Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offer.

POETS POETICALY HEAL KATRINA'S WOUNDS

Witness, listen and get inspired by poets from across our nation.

Sept.29, 2005 Miami - A gathering of poets and poetic organizations from across the Nation will come together to help the victims of Katrina through a fundraising performance event. This Saturday, Oct 1st 2005, 9pm est., please tune into http://xradio.biz/lasvegas and make your pledge representing your organization/area helping our fellow Americans in need.

Warrick "Husbandman" Roundtree, founder of The Untamed Tongues based in Las Vegas and host of Unsung Radio along with Maximus Parthas - Exec. Producer of Whispered Words Poetry Mixtapes came together to create the first of its kind "POETHON". "Immediately after hurricane Katrina hit our brothers and sisters in the south our collective untamedtonguesyahoogroup embraced them and each other with profound words - poetry. Acknowledging that words of _expression are the most powerful and healing tool, as poets and artists we wanted to not just do something for the victims, but actually embrace them with our words." Passionately states "Husbandman"

This four hour cyber POETHON aims to support and sponsor, specifically families that were directly affected by hurricane Katrina.

With the nations tuning in they expect donations in come in from all walks of life.

WHAT - POETHON for our families affected by Hurricane KatrinaWHEN - Saturday, October 1st at 9:00 pm Eastern Daylights Savings Time, WHERE - http://xradio.biz/lasvegasWHO - Poets from Across the Nation

Finalists Announced for 2005 Online Journalism Awards

BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The finalists for the sixth annual Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) were announced this week by the Online News Association (ONA) and the USC Annenberg School for Communication. The contest, which honors excellence in digital journalism, was judged by a team of distinguished journalists during a two-day event on the USC campus on Sept. 23-24. A list of the finalists in each of the categories is provided below, along with a list of the judges.

The winners will be announced at the OJA Awards Banquet during the sixth national conference of the Online News Association, which will be held October 28th and 29th at the Hilton New York.

"The ONA and USC Annenberg are very pleased with the outcome of the judging," said Tom Regan, executive director of the ONA. "This was easily the most varied cross section of finalists in the competition's six-year history. It indicates that the OJAs are being widely viewed as the top online competition to enter, and it also tells us how the quality of online journalism has improved right across all the categories."

The finalists and the winners were selected through a two-step process. First, a group of 70 journalists screened entries in each category and narrowed them to a set of five to ten nominees. These nominees were then reviewed by the OJA judges, a group of 11 journalists with extensive experience in new and old media, who met at USC to pick the finalists and the winners.

The Online Journalism Awards received 600 English-language entries from Web sites in the United States and abroad. The judges followed a strict recusal policy, leaving the judging room during discussions and not voting in any category in which their own sites came up for review.

Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the USC Annenberg School for Communication ( http://www.annenberg.usc.edu/ ) is among the nation's leading institutions devoted to the study of journalism and communication, and their impact on politics, culture and society. With an enrollment of more than 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students, USC Annenberg offers B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in journalism, communication, and public relations.

The Online News Association is an association composed largely of professional online journalists. The Association has more than 600 professional members whose principal livelihood involves gathering or producing news for digital presentation. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, photographers and others who produce news for the Internet or other digital delivery systems, as well as academic members and others interested in the development of online journalism.

NOTE TO EDITORS: You can register for the ONA conference online at: https://www.123signup.com/servlet/SignUpMember?PG=17208182300&P=17208191152064 500&Info The agenda for the 2005 conference is at: http://journalist.org/2005conference/archives/000308.php To receive future news releases via email regarding the ONA conference and awards, please send an email to Jonathan.Evans@prnewswire.com with 'ONA NEWS' in the subject line.)

Mobile Lingo will use UIEngine to power interactive entertainment applications designed to create new revenue opportunities for both the publisher and its network operator partners. Mobile Lingo's first application, developed using UIEngine, is Hip Hoptionary, a living dictionary that mobile data subscribers can use to instantly find the meaning of the latest hip-hop slang. Users can submit their own terms for inclusion in the Hip Hoptionary. In addition, the application features news, biographies and photos of favorite hip-hop artists.

"UIEvolution's industry-proven, powerful software technology gives Mobile Lingo the ability to easily develop and quickly distribute content across multiple devices and operating systems, significantly reducing our development costs and accelerating the time it takes to offer it to our customers," said Etesh Mangray, Managing Member of Mobile Lingo LLC.

UIEngine is a powerful, cross-platform software technology for creating applications that are compact, yet rich in content, and can be used over virtually any device, operating system or network. This capability enables media publishers to develop and deliver applications more quickly because it prevents the need to create and manage multiple versions of each application.

"Creative content publishers, like Mobile Lingo, have discovered the power of UIEvolution's UIEngine to facilitate rapid content delivery and create multiple revenue opportunities," said Chris Ruff, president of UIEvolution. "UIEngine enables consumers to access applications on almost any device or network. As a result, more users can run applications on more devices, increasing revenue for publishers and network operators."

The UIEngine provides a number of benefits for software developers and network operators. For example, the technology runs on more than 200 devices (i.e. mobile phones, PCs, set-top boxes, MP3 players or digital cameras) and 20 software platforms thereby reducing development costs and accelerating application availability. Also, the software enables developers to create smaller applications that save device memory and processor capacity, but still offer a powerful user experience. Additionally, applications, such as the Hip Hoptionary, are easily customized for individual content owners or network operators to deliver a unique, branded experience.

A free version of UIEvolution's latest software development kit UIE SDK Version 1.5 is available immediately for PC development platforms. UIEvolution also provides free test UIE Player software for instant testing of applications running on PC, Mac and Sprint mobile phone devices. The software can be downloaded from developer.uievolution.com.

About Mobile Lingo LLC Mobile Lingo LLC is a mobile media publisher dedicated to creating essential services that enrich the lives of active mobile users. The company develops, distributed and promotes mobile content via its operator partnerships and Web site. The current product portfolio includes original video content, applications and instant messaging. For more information, visit www.mobile-lingo.com.

About UIEvolution, Inc. UIEvolution(R) is a leading provider of software solutions for interactive content, empowering content and service providers to deliver a rich mobile and broadband experience to their subscribers worldwide. UIEvolution's software technology, applications, and development tools bring high quality games, ringtones, real-time data, and other interactive content to virtually any device and network. UIEvolution is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix, Inc. an industry leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software that includes the world's most popular franchises, FINAL FANTASY(R) and Dragon Quest.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2005--Five Thousand Boost Mobile RockCorps Volunteers Attended a Free Concert on September 24 at Radio City Music Hall as Reward for Contributing Four Hours of Community Service

WHO: Boost Mobile RockCorps - an "around the way revolution" that is empowering young adults with the motivation and resources necessary to create immediate, long-lasting improvements to communities in need.

WHAT: MTV2 will air one of the hottest and biggest hip hop concerts of the year featuring artists from various regions and genres who came out for the cause of "Service, Pride, Music, and Respect." Highlights include charismatic alternative rock drummer Travis Barker opening the show with DJ AM and Kanye West joining Paul Wall on stage to perform his hit "Gold Digger." The audience swayed back and forth and sang along to every performance - from "Lean Back" by Fat Joe featuring Remy Ma and the Terror Squad to T.I. who closed the show with his hits "Bring Em Out" and "U Don't Know Me." All the artists came together to celebrate and give thanks to the Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteers who put in 20,000 combined hours of community service to earn tickets to the show.

This summer Boost Mobile RockCorps challenged the notion of America's so-called "age of declining volunteerism" and young people around the nation answered the call. Partnering with non-profit agencies to organize volunteer projects in major metropolitan areas around the U.S., Boost Mobile RockCorps launched June 25 in Los Angeles and has influenced positive change in Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. throughout the summer. As a reward for contributing four hours of community service work and in celebration of the youth volunteerism movement, 5,000 Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteers earned tickets to this landmark Radio City Music Hall event.

WHEN: Show airs this Sunday, October 2 at 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST. The show will air again October 3 at 3 p.m. EST and October 4 at 1:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. EST. Check local listings and for more information, please visit www.mtv2.com.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine Systems, a major service provider for streaming media technology and Internet content delivery network solutions, has added KOCH Entertainment, the leading and fastest-growing independent music company in the United States, to its growing roster of major music label clients including Interscope Records, Geffen Records, Universal Motown Records, Virgin Records, Capitol Records, Priority Records, Mosaic, Astralwerks and the EMI Christian Music Group. KOCH Entertainment will rely on Nine Systems' Stream OS, rich media content management and delivery tools, to manage its on-demand content distribution, including music videos and promo clips for KOCH Records artists such as Jim Jones, Ian Brown and Ringo Starr, as well as video highlights for KOCH Vision's urban film "Paper Chasers" and children's TV programs "Tall Tales and Legends," and KOCH Lorber Films' "Lipstick & Dynamite" and "Save the Green Planet."

"We have teamed up with Nine Systems to bring high-quality music and entertainment content to our worldwide audience," said Michael Rosenberg, President, KOCH Entertainment Distribution. "We chose Nine Systems because they demonstrated they could meet our needs in providing us with a robust, scalable, easy to use content management and delivery solution, satisfying the requirement for a high-quality video experience demanded by our customers. We are confident that Nine Systems will be the best partner to fulfill our growing online distribution needs over the coming years."

Nine Systems' Stream OS is the industry leading content publishing set of tools that enable customers to use drag-and-drop functionality to upload, organize and distribute content on their Web sites via a web-based interface. With Stream OS, customers will receive high-quality content management services that guarantee performance, reliability, scalability, ease of management and reporting.

"We are pleased to be working with KOCH Entertainment to provide their music fans around the globe with high-quality content," said Troy Snyder, CEO, Nine Systems. "As the market for broadband content distribution continues to grow, it is critical for our customers to have the ability to provide promotions, videos and other rich media content online and we are dedicated to address these increasing needs. Our Stream OS suite of applications simplifies the process of managing and distributing content online, allowing our customers to exercise more control over their streaming capabilities, enabling them to focus on providing their viewers with high-quality content."

The streamed on-demand content will be delivered through Nine Systems' Network of Networks, the industry first aggregated system that routes all types of rich media through its Content Delivery Network (CDN) and across other top-tier CDNs.

About KOCH Entertainment

KOCH Entertainment is the leading and fastest-growing independent music and video company in the U.S. and its operations encompass record and video labels and distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainment is the market leader among independents in both the U.S. and Canada and its record labels had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents in 2003/2004. For more information please go to www.kochent.com.

About Nine Systems

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Nine Systems (www.ninesystems.com) helps today's best-known companies broadcast audio and video over the Internet and wireless easily, affordably and reliably. Nine Systems' Network of Networks is an industry-first system that routes all types of rich media through the company's Content Delivery Network (CDN) and across other top-tier CDNs to guarantee robust and reliable delivery worldwide. Stream OS is the company's suite of configurable rich media management and delivery tools that enable audio and video streaming, live event broadcasting, web conferencing and the anytime sale of rich media content. Nine Systems serves more than 200 of today's most successful businesses including Universal Music Group, the NBA, CinemaNow, CBS SportsLine, and EMI Music.

ABC Radio Networks To Create And Syndicate Daddy Yankee National Radio Program

Hispanic Music Star to Host Weekly Two-Hour Program

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC Radio Networks announced today an exclusive agreement to create a weekly two-hour syndicated radio program hosted by Puerto Rican Reggaeton sensation Daddy Yankee. This new enterprise underscores the network's commitment to develop quality programming for the fastest-growing segment of the United States population.

Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, ABC Radio Networks will develop and distribute the program targeting audiences of ages 18-34. The show is expected to run on Saturday evenings beginning this fall.

"We are very excited to offer this breakthrough show to our affiliates and advertisers," said Darryl Brown, executive vice president and general manager of ABC Radio Networks. "In just a few short years, Daddy Yankee has quickly established himself as an international music phenomenon and we look forward to bringing him to a national Hispanic radio audience here in the United States."

After observing the unyielding support of his fans and his personal desire to share his vision with anyone who was willing to hear it, ABC reached out to Daddy Yankee. Yankee's carefully crafted lyrics and his ability to interpret his musical compositions have allowed him to deliver his real message to the masses. From love themes to socially-saturated comments on the everyday Puerto Rican culture, his songs have remained solid hits in the club scene and are considered Reggaeton classics.

Yankee's intense drive and his desire for artistic expression have garnered the respect and admiration of the international music community. This energy and enthusiasm have allowed him to create an extensive body of work spanning more than 130 published tracks in as many as 70 feature albums.

Without a doubt, his solid record sales confirm his success and popularity within Latin Music. All of his albums have received platinum status. Throughout the years he has consistently remained at the top of the charts in his native Puerto Rico, one of the most prestigious markets within Latin Music. His latest release titled "Barrio Fino," which is his most complete offering to date, has remained the hottest selling Latin music album for the past year. This album not only brought Daddy Yankee international acclaim but helped spearhead the incursion of the Reggaeton Genre into the international music scene. The album earned its place in history by selling over two million copies world-wide and reaching the top of the Billboard Latin Album Charts and remaining in this position for over 53 weeks, thus cementing his position at the forefront of the Reggaeton genre and was awarded Reggaeton Album of the Year at the 2005 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

"I am excited about the great opportunity this new radio show will give my Hispanic community," affirmed Daddy Yankee. "I aspire to be a trendsetter and I hope that with this deal I will be able to open doors so that others might be able to follow. I am proud to be the first Reggaeton artist to have his own nationally syndicated radio show and with this tool I will be able to reach audiences we hadn't been able to reach before, this will prove to those that still doubt it, that the Reggaeton movement is a real musical genre," Yankee reiterated.

"ABC Radio Networks en Espanol provides beachfront access to the hearts, minds and ears of the U.S. Hispanic population," stated Kevin Miller, senior vice president of Business Development, ABC Radio Networks. "It is our business to develop world class radio properties for those networks that attract and retain millions of Hispanic listeners for our affiliate and advertising partners. The Daddy Yankee Radio Show is one such property and is destined to be our Empire State Building."

Currently, Daddy Yankee is touring Latin America and the United States, where he has been consistently met by thousands of eager fans. Recently in Colombia and Ecuador, Daddy Yankee performed in front of over 60,000 screaming fans. His energy and dedication have enabled him to record more than 130 tracks in as many as 70 feature Reggaeton albums.

"As the pioneer and recognized frontman for the popular Reggaeton movement, Daddy Yankee has captured the attention of millions of young Hispanic listeners," said Elisa Torres, senior director of Hispanic affiliate relations, ABC Radio Networks. "We are confident Daddy Yankee will be able to build a strong radio platform that reaches the highly emergent Latino community across the United States."

About ABC Radio Networks

ABC Radio Networks has 4,600 affiliate radio stations reaching 109 million people age 12 and over each week. Programs and services include ABC News Radio, Paul Harvey News and Comment, The Sean Hannity Show, Satellite Sisters, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Doug Banks Morning Show, MoneyTalk with Bob Brinker, The Mark Davis Show, The Larry Elder Show, American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley, The Dan Patrick Show, The Michael Baisden Show, Dick Bartley's Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits, The John Batchelor Show, Todd Pettengill at the 80s, Renan Almendarez Coello-El Cucuy de la Manana, El Vacilon de la Manana with Luis Jimenez and Moonshadow and El Vacilon de la Manana with Enrique Santos and Joe Ferrero. Other ABC broadcast services include ABC Sports Radio, Radio Disney, syndicated music and talk programs including Flashback, format-specific ePREP and production libraries, ABC's Jack FM(TM) and eleven other 24-Hour Formats, including Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel and ESPN Radio, which is the exclusive network radio home of Major League Baseball, the NBA and the Bowl Championship Series.

Source: ABC Radio Networks

CONTACT: Bennett Kleinberg, bkleinberg@goodmanmedia.com, or SakuraKomiyama, skomiyama@goodmanmedia.com, both of Goodman Media International forABC Radio Networks, both at +1-212-576-2700; or Lourdes Perez of HaloCommunications for Daddy Yankee-El Cartel-Los Cangris Inc., +1-787-777-0623,Ext. 30, or cell, +1-787-370-4555

SPOTRUSHAZ MUSIC HITS EUROPE THIS WEEKEND!

Next weekend the top urban radio station in Europe, BBC 1Xtra will feature a 3-min synopsis of the history of Trinidads hip-hop scene, narrated by the Spotrushaz own, BDangerous and featuring music from The Spotrushaz catalogue!

Its all part of a special hip-hop weekend on 1Xtra which runs from FRI SEP 30 to SUN OCT 2!

The Spotrushaz will be featured on the program entitled, Pimping All Over The World scheduled to air on Sunday morning between 0800 and 1000

Log on to listen to 1Xtra live now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/ and visit their MESSAGE BOARD to pledge your support for Trinidads finest rhyme agents: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/1xtra/

Thanks again for all your blessings and support. Have no fear The Spotrushaz are gonna make it like the title of their 1st original single back in 2002 and were gonna put Trini on the Billboard charts sooner rather than later! Stay tuned for more updates on Trinidads Top Rap group

Hit us with your feedback at: spotrushaz@gmail.comand remember to request their latest single, Special Request on all your favorite radio stations!

If youre a true SPOTRUSHAZ fan and supporter, click on the link below to listen to tracks from their first compilation, The 10-Piece LP as well as the brand new single, Special Request. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=392502

Slum Village Returns with a New Self-Titled Masterpiece and Inks Massive Deal with General Motors

September 29th, 2005

Detroit, MI--- Having severed ties with their former record company, Capitol Records, Slum Village (T-3 & Elzhi) has been anxious to return to the studio and release another musically masterful album and retain some control over its promotion. The new album will be released through the groups home label; Barak Records.

The new album, Slum Village will be in stores October 25, 2005. The first single, Ez Up? features newcomer J. Isaacs, a singer from Minnesota. The video for the blazing hot single was directed by Mike Taylor (Boyz in da Hood) and will be serviced to video outlets immediately.

Considered a liquid association, a group that is constantly changing and evolving. Slum Village will be including a DVD that will take a journey into their sometimes tumultuous, yet magical adventure in music. The group clears up rumors and questions about the numerous changes in the groups membership as well as their label status. The DVD features a fascinating 30-minute interview, which answers all of their fans questions. The album features production by B.R. Gunna, Young RJ and B.R. Gunna whose album Dirty District Vol. 2 (2004) reached #55 on the Billboard Charts.

Realizing how respected Slum Village is throughout the entire music industry, Barak Records also just finalized a deal in which T-3 and Elzhi will be appearing in nationally televised spots for Chevrolet and there new line of 2006 Impala and HHR automobiles. The homegrown union will include an integrated campaign with a music video feel, using Slums Ez Up? single; which will include an Ez Up Motor City remix and remixed lyrics. This deal is a very hip one for Chevrolet and one that will warrant intensive media coverage; radio spots will start airing in mid-October, with national TV spots running in early November, as Chevy and Slum Village bring the American Revolution home to Detroit. Further support for the album will be coming via the form of an exciting college tour currently being planned for the coming school semester. This will give Slum Village a unique opportunity to be seen by their largest fan base; college students.

In a unique partnership with Zingy (www.zingy.com) the new album will be available as a ring tone two weeks prior to its street date. This unique promotion is as cutting edge as the group itself. By fully tapping into to this new media, Slum Village will further solidify their intimate relationship with their fans. "Ez Up" real: http://www.barakrecords.com/audio/slum village_ezup.ram quick time: http://www.barakrecords.com/audio/slum village_ezup.mov windows media player: http://www.barakrecords.com/audio/slum village_ezup.wax

DENVER HIP-HOP ARTIST KILLED: CAC DIES AT AGE 26

September 28, 2005

Denver rapper, Cac was pronounced dead today at the age of 26. The Hip-Hop community is at a loss for words as to why this happened. Shot early Sunday morning at around 2:30am at the intersection of East 10th Avenue and Grant Street, Cac was on his way home from a night out. There have been no apparent explanations given as to why this unnecessary crime was committed.Cac was in a Dodge Neon with Innerstate Ike, another member of the Hip-Hop community and a third unidentified male when all three males were shot and injured. Immediately rushed to the hospital, Cac and Innerstate Ike remained in critical condition. The third unidentified males injuries were not as serious as those of Cac and Innerstate Ike. Unfortunately Cac was severely injured and passed away earlier today. Innerstate Ike remains in the hospital but is reportedly on the road to recovery. Both men have families which include small children.Both artists recently finished their own respected music projects. Cac had recently recorded the album Trendsetta. Innerstate Ike had also just finished his album entitled Batman and Robin which featured Cac. Both albums will be out in stores soon.A fund has been set up by the families of the deceased and injured. Any monies received will go towards previous and future medical costs. Please send donations to 18601 E. 48th Avenue No. 112, Box No. 5, Denver, 80249.As to date, no suspects have been identified. A motive has proven unidentifiable to this point, as well. The thoughts and prayers of the Denver community are with the family of Cac and wish Innerstate Ike a speedy recovery.

Producers Bless, K-Mack and Corte of SoulDiggaz Productions will appear on the popular music count-down Rap City, Producers week

For the SoulDiggaz (Bless and K-Mack), music has always been a part of their lives. Being step-brothers, they both grew up listening to the same music, citing the Fat Boys, Run DMC, Eric B & Rakim and New Edition as musical influences. But they weren't trying to figure out the dance moves in the video for the next school dance, or even dress like their counterparts.

They were simply listening to the beat.

"We would wonder what instrument they used to achieve a sound; we dissected the music we listened to, from the synthesizer to the vocals," says Bless. "We listened to everything, from Rock to R&B."Although their talents brought them to begin both a DJ and Rap career separately, they both agreed that beats were where their hearts were and in 1995, SoulDiggaz Productions was founded. Their goal was simple: to get tracks on the radio, and to be identified by sound. They knew however, that to achieve that they would have to get a well-known artist to sing on one of their tracks and get the placements they would need in order to be successful.

Through networking parties and their own groundwork, in 1998 Bless and K-Mack recorded a track on Pras' solo debut Ghetto Superstar. From there, the doors opened to new opportunities, recording tracks for Mary J. Blige, Beyonc_nowles, Bad Boy recording artist Loon and a host of others. Soon after, another connection would essentially push their business of beats to the next level.

In 2001 they met Corte Ellis, a gifted writer who would soon join their already successful production company. Ellis mentioned he had a famous cousin, Missy Elliott, and eventually set up the meeting between her and the guys. After a long wait on the set of one of her videos for Under Construction, the SoulDiggaz signed a major production deal with Missy in 2003; she contacted them only two days after meeting with them. The alliance lead to co-producing tracks with Missy on the Honey and Fighting Temptations soundtrack, scoring for Missy and Madonna's Gap commercials and the theme song for self-titled sitcom, Eve. They were also the first producers hired to work on select ringtones with Sprint Communications. In an industry currently influenced by sex and violence, they hope to achieve a quality that K-Mack describes as "very street, yet very soulful, but in all feel-good music with a positive vibe that can inspire kids." As a team, they only see the possibilities. "We enjoy the process of developing artists," says K-Mack. "People don't take chances anymore, but being different wins," he adds. SoulDiggaz Productions is just that: the difference.

Constantly finding ways to expand their business as a production company, SoulDiggaz have signed to their moniker artists that encompass many genres, including Rap, Hip-Hop and Rock. Setting a unique mission for themselves, they intend to provide artist management and be the 'go-to' guys for production and a host of other talents they bring to the table.

M.O.P. FIRST FAMILY SALUTES THE ST. MARXMEN

NEW LONG-AWAITED STREET ALBUMTO HIT STORES ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2005

NEW RELEASE FEATURES JAY Z, WYCLEF JEAN, ODB AND MORE

(September 28, 2005) New York, NY M.O.P. First Family returns to the streets with a new, hard-hitting street album titled Salutes The St. Marxmen. The new KOCH Records release from the First Family will be in stores on October 18th,, 2005.

Alan Grunblatt, General Manager and Executive Vice President of KOCH Records, explains, Cliff Cultreri and I signed M.O.P. First Family to Relativity Records, where the group had the most success. We've been friends for a long time, so its a natural fit for KOCH to put out their next great release.

M.O.P. First Family was formed by Laze Elliott, Billy Danze, & Lil Fame in the mid 90s, and they burst on the scene with their debut single, How About Some Hardcore. The group quickly earned a devoted following in New York City. Their first album, To The Death, was released in the spring of 1994 and delivered a slew of intense, gangsta tracks. Their songs embodied the underground, New York sound, and their name became synonymous with hardcore. M.O.P. First Family refused to deliver anything but the hardcore joints that won the group its fans, and critics quickly took notice as well. Other members of the St. Marxmen have been heard as well. Teflon appeared on the remix Ante Up. Foxx had a joint on the Bad s Boy II soundtrack, a compilation which sold over 2 million copies.

M.O.P. First Family Salutes The St. Marxmen is another dose of the New York underground flavor they are known for, delivering strong lyrics and slamming beats. Jay Z, Wyclef Jean, DJ Premier and the late ODB are featured on some of the hardest tracks they group has made. M.O.P. First Family spent the summer touring with Eminem and 50 Cent.

For more information, contact Giovanna Melchiorre at 212-353-8800x257 or gio@kochent.com and Matt Conaway at Movement Marketing 410-360-5957 or Matthewbrn@aol.com

About KOCH RecordsKOCH Records is a division of KOCH Entertainment, the fastest-growing music company and the market leader among independents in North America. The KOCH Entertainment corporate umbrella encompasses the KOCH Records label, KOCH Vision home video, KOCH Music Publishing and KOCH Entertainment Distribution with operations in both the U.S. and Canada.KOCH Records proudly claims the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents for each of the last four years (2001-2004). For additional info on the KOCH Records label and its roster of artists, please visit www.kochrecords.com

Ya' Heard Magazine is dedicated to building its community by way of educating the music industry participants. Our focus is to promote local and national artists, producers, writers and anyone in the music business through Ya' Heard Magazine.

Ya' Heard Magazine presents an outlet for new & unsigned artists to showcase their talent via the Sound Off Vol. 2 Mix CD. We're calling all Hip-Hop, R&B, Reggae and Reggaeton artists to submit their two best songs to be featured the mix CD. If selected, the songs will appear on the CD and will be inserted and distributed directly in Ya' Heard Magazine to the music industrys top creative executives in A&R, music publishing, film, TV, as well as artist managers, record producers, music attorneys, radio programmers and more throughout the top 15 markets for urban music. A minimum of 10,000 CDs will be printed and distributed. This will allow all of the artist/groups on the mix CD to have a chance to be heard in regions/venues that may otherwise not be accessible.

The Sound Off Vol. 2 Mix CD will allow Ya' Heard Magazine to reach an audience who is conscious of self and image by providing a positive vehicle that reflects positive artists. What better way to reach this ever changing urban audience then through music? This CD will be distributed free inside Ya' Heard Magazine.

For rules and regulations log onto www.yaheardmagazine.com [http://www.yaheardmagazine.com/]. Mail or drop off submission form and $50 submission fee to Att: Fidel, 1818 N. Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212. All submissions must be in by November 1st!

"THE YOUNGEST NATIONAL HIP HOP RECORDING ARTIST", SIGNED TO LUV WORX RECORDS/BUNGALO/EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC & VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

BRINGS MOTIVATION TO "GENERATION Y"

Remedy2 has been busy performing and entertaining in front of enthusiastic crowds since the mere age of three. Remedy's first National Appearance was at the age of 4, on "Showtime in Harlem in 2003. Along the way he was on tour with NBA Entertainment's, "Rhythm an Rims Tour", stopping by California, Dallas, and New York to name a few. While on the busy tour Remedy2 had the opportunity to appear on one of the hottest shows, BET 106 & Park. His website was hit by millions of all ages after appearing on the show. One hit came all the way from Ghana.

Remedy has entertainment in his blood. He is the great-grandson of the famous football player and entertainer, Ernie Wheelwright, who played for the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and made several sitcom appearances.

Remedy2 is currently in the studio working on one of the most anticipated albums of the year 2006, "GENERATION UPGRADE IS THE MOTTO". Remedy2's National debut album entitled "AHEAD OF THE GAME" will release in the 1st quarter of 2006. Look out for the single to be released in the 4th quarter 2005. THIS IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING, make sure you are a part of this music release coming soon, "The Youngest ever in the game". Remedy2 is bringing FUN, EXCITING, & POSITIVE music for all to enjoy.

The Fugees Return with Brand-New Single, 'Take It Easy'

Hip-Hop Supergroup's First New Music in Nearly a Decade Provides First Taste of Eagerly-Awaited Successor to 1996's Multi-Platinum Bestselling 'The Score'

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fugees -- Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras -- have emerged from a New York studio with a brand-new single for the legions of fans clamoring for a follow-up to 1996's "The Score," the biggest-selling hip-hop album of all time.

"Take It Easy," the first new Fugees music in nearly a decade, provides a sweet taste of the group's upcoming album, slated for release in early 2006.

Or, as Pras puts it, "Back with the Fugees, fo' fighting for a few billions."

"Yup," sings Lauryn Hill on "Take It Easy," "it's Fugees entirely!"

The roots of the Fugees were formed in the early 1990s when high school classmates Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel began working together in a hip-hop ensemble called the "Tranzlator Crew." Joined by Pras' cousin Wyclef Jean, the trio signed to Ruffhouse/Columbia Records in 1993 and began performing under the name "Fugees," a slang term applied to Haitian refugees. The Fugees' debut album, "Blunted On Reality," foreshadowed a new direction in hip-hop, but it was 1996's "The Score," a pioneering blend of hip-hop, jazz, pop, R&B, soul, reggae, and rap, that moved the group into the stratosphere.

"The Score" became the best-selling album of 1996, taking home two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (for "Killing Me Softly With His Song"). Certified 6x platinum by the RIAA, "The Score" has sold more than 13,600,000 copies worldwide.

Following the massive international success of "The Score," the Fugees went on hiatus with the group's individual members -- Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras -- each pursuing solo careers.

Lauryn's 1998 debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," earned the artist five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, and has been certified 8x platinum by the RIAA.

Wyclef Jean, the first of the Fugees to embark on a solo career, racked up seven RIAA gold and platinum certifications for his solo albums -- 1997's "The Carnival" (gold, 2x platinum) and "The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II A Book" (gold, platinum) -- and 1998's smash single "Gone Till November" (gold, platinum). Wyclef has been Grammy-winning producer and songwriter (Santana, Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child) and is an outspoken social activist and force behind numerous benefit concerts including aid for his native Haiti.

Prakazrel Michel ("Pras") had a #1 R&B hit with his 1998 single, "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)," from the soundtrack of Warren Beatty's "Bulworth." Turning his attention to film, Pras played a villain in the 1999 Ben Stiller superhero send-up, "Mystery Men," and starred as a struggling drug-running rap musician in "Turn It Up," a film based on Pras' own "Ghetto Supastar" sagas.

The Fugees gave the first intimation of a full-fledged reunion when the group made a surprise appearance at a Brooklyn block party thrown by comedian Dave Chappelle in September 2004. Earlier this year, Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras took audience members, and television viewers, by surprise when the legendary hip-hop supergroup appeared on-stage at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre as the unannounced opening act for the 2005 BET Awards ceremony.

BIG TONE TO RELEASE "THE DROUGHT" (ABB RECORDS) 10/04

Big Tone has found himself riding the wave of a buzz that is currently creating frenzy on the Detroit underground scene. After years of rhyming collaborating with some of hip hop's most prominent talents including Jay Dee, Dwele, Slum Village, and Lacks, Big Tone is releasing his self-produced solo project, The Drought, on ABB Records (summer 2005). Fresh off of a string of impressive releases; Partycrasher (Carl Craig's Antidote Music), the Wasted Youth EP 2 Minds, 1 Block (Bling 47 Group), It's Like That (JayDee's Welcome to Detroit LP), and the explosive single, "Its a Wrap", with Phat Kat, featuring Big Tone (Barak Records), Big Tone is bringing forth one of the most anticipated solo efforts to be released out of Detroit.

After moving away from his infamous 7 mile stomping grounds, the next neighborhood he called home was the Plymouth Road area of Detroits west side, known as P-Rock. In the late 90's Tone began to make his rounds, and his presence felt in the D's underground scene. The Hip-Hop Shop, St. Andrew's Hall, Ebony Showcase, and The Lush all played a part of Tone's rapidly growing reputation. His first EP, Earcandy, earned the ears and respect of a wide audience, including established independent record label executive, Carl Craig (Planet E Communications). Craig became one of Tone's biggest mentors and friends in music. "The next thing I know, I was the next artist to sign to Planet E's sister label, Antidote Records," he recalls. After doing a few white label releases, Tone was exposed to a worldwide audience. It was these opportunities that also earned him a highlighted appearance, working with a friend and mentor Jay Dee on the song "Its like that" which appeared on JayDee's Welcome to Detroit (BBE Records). He followed with a flash of brilliance on his self produced debut single, Party Crasher", which in return was mixed by JayDee. This Three song release solidified Big Tone as a commander on the mic, and augmented the custom of the artist/producer double threat.

One of Tone's most notable contributions to Detroit Hip-Hop was founding the group Wasted Youth. The first project from this group, "2 Minds, 1 Block", set ablaze the local scene and quickly became a phenomenon. "It never ceases to amaze me how a CD that is intended to touch no further than the hood, can find its way to the other side of the globe," Tone reflects. Due to popular demand the album was repressed and released through Bling 47 Group, and was instrumental in establishing the group's large fan base. Wasted Youth is currently working on a second project entitled Teen Spirit, which is scheduled for release fall 2005.

"I'm able to bridge the gaps between the different areas of rap music, because they've each played a role in my upbringing, I feel I've been able to create something universal because of this. 'The Drought' is my 'Illmatic'. It's my 'Reasonable Doubt'", Tone reveals, "The dominoes continue to fall, the next domino is my album. When that one falls, its a wrap." With The Drought under his wing, Big Tone is promising not to disappoint those thirsty for the next big thing.

Hip-Hop Organizations Form Alliance

For the purpose of advancing education

September 21, 2005

The Hip Hop Congress and the Hip-Hop Association are presently creating a collection that will include lesson plans, curricula, and other teaching tools from educators in the U.S. and abroad. This collection will be made available to members of the community in the form of an electronic database and printed guidebook.

With over 500 educators between both organizations teaching at various schools, colleges, and universities across the country, this relationship will provide credible opportunities to test, evaluate and present irrefutable data. This data will be used to demonstrate to policymakers, funders and educational institutions the power of utilizing Hip-Hop as an educational tool.

In addition, Hip Hop Congress has joined the Hip-Hop Association's 2006 H2Ed Summer Academy as a co-sponsor. The academy is a weeklong evaluation program where educators and youth practice a variety of methods to use of Hip-Hop in the classroom.

Hip Hop Congress is an international grassroots network that educates, empowers, and unites individuals by inspiring social action and cultural creativity within the community by merging with artists and students, music and community.

About the Hip Hop-Association

The Hip Hop-Association, an organization that focuses on facilitating, fostering, and preserving Hip Hop culture through media, education and community building has produced an annual education summit that brings Teachers, Organizers, Parents, Social workers, and Youth since 2003.

9/28/2005

Charlotte, NC -- (ArriveNet - Sep 28, 2005) --Neblina Records announced they have signed a deal with P-Vine Records to release Rashid Hadee's solo album, Dedication, exclusively in Japan. December 2, 2005 has been set as the tentative release date.

The Japanese version of Dedication contains 18 tracks, the majority of which were produced by Rashid Hadee. Young Valentine handles the remainder of the production. Expect to hear that vintage Chapter 13 boom-bap production reminiscent of classics such as The Rebirth and Watchin' My Moves.

A musical journey through Rashid's hometown, the beat maker/MC emphatically states, Chicago is just like the most amazing city to me. The scenery, the people, the strive, the hunger, the hustle, the ladies, and just the emotion I peep daily from myself and other people all influence me musically and personally. Just like they say in the song Respiration, I can feel the city breathing. (laughs) That's real though, I just express everything through music and my everyday living...

The talented producer has laced tracks for MCs such as Common Sense and Special Ed and has even shared production credits with fellow Chi-town native Kanye West on Abstract Mindstate's Still Paying album. Rashid's production credits include the gems Watchin My Moves, Demonz and Do the Math by Skinny Kenny.

A very limited amount of the Japanese version of Dedication will be available for sale to the U.S. public exclusively at www.neblinarecords.com. Neblina will be releasing the U.S. version of the album in the spring of 2006 and will include bonus tracks not available on the Japanese version.

Available December, 2nd 2005 at www.neblinarecords.com

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Founded in 2003, Neblina has five releases under it's belt with many more on the way. In 2004, Definition. The Hip-Hop Compilation & it's 12 inch vinyl single, Da Instigator, were very well received by a worldwide audience. Bangers & B-Sides (EP), Fear & Loathing: Riding with DJ Resident and Nevermore's Asylum by Chapter 13 were released in 2005. For more information, visit www.neblinarecords.com.CONTACT - David Jeffers, Co-founderdavid@neblinarecords.com336-253-3879

September 30th...The Carolina Cup emcee Championship!

Friday September 30th 21st Records presents: The Carolina Cup emcee Championship! Featuring the best freestylers from NC, VA, and SC. Hear, feel, and experience the 1st installment of a soon to be classic hip hop event!

For more details go to www.21strecords.com and www.brewerync.com.

The Brewery3009 Hillsborough StRaleigh, NC. 919-834-7018Doors open at 9pmID REQUIREDdrink specials all night

The eye catching urban art piece showcases the uniqueness of each member of Asamov - J-One-Da, Therapy, Basic, and Willie Evans, Jr, - as well as their omni-present "BoomBox" which has become Asamov's signature accessory at all of their performances.

Already the talk of the town, the "And Now..." mural is expected to build awareness in the Jacksonville community about the long-awaited debut album from Jacksonville's native sons Asamov who's album will be available nation-wide on October 18th, 2005 on 6 Hole Records.

"The idea behind the "And Now..." mural was to show the world that the city's art scene is already behind Asamov and proud to have them represent our burgeoning 904 Hip-Hop music scene." said Asamov's manager Damian Marley. "The Old School graffiti styling of the mural speaks to how genuine and authentic Asamov's music truly is. Jacksonville once again should feel proud that we have such a high quality group representing us to the music world"

CEO of 6 Hole Records and Major League Baseball player Desi Relaford said, "Asamov is all about real beats, real lyrics, and that's why the "And Now..." Mural fits them so well. Once you listen to "And Now..." you can tell they are bringing real soul back into Hip-Hop..."

The "And Now..." mural is located at the south wall of the London Bridges English Pub (100 E. Adams St.) and is ready for the public to view. The official Asamov "And Now" listening party will be held at London Bridge on Oct. 17th from 7 to 11pm and all are invited to attend free of charge to celebrate and hear this stunning debut already being dubbed a Hip-Hop classic.

The "And Now..." Mural was stylized by Kenski82, Chief Rocka Basic, and Thriftwell!

In support of their debut release Asamov is available for and seeking interviews, reviews, and features.

About Asamov

Originating from Jacksonville, Florida Asamov centers around MCs Therapy, Basic, J-One-Da, and Willie Evans, Jr. Each member of Asamov is at least a triple threat referring to the fact that each member either rhymes, produces, or DJs making them an abnormality on the Hip-Hop scene. Their diversity is evident at their live shows which have become legendary for the way they "WOW!" the crowd by changing up roles on stage and behind the turntables showcasing their golden era of hip-hop music skills. High energy, innovative, memorable and fresh are perfect adjectives to describe what an Asamov live show is like!

In 2003 Asamov was signed to Major League Baseball player Desi Relaford's (Toronto Blue Jays) 6 Hole Records as the labels first act. This opportunity has given Asamov the financial backing they needed to grown a real fan base and begin building their careers in the music game.

For more info on Asamov visit: http://www.myspace.com/asamov or www.6Hole.com

COLLISION: TAKIN' OVER THE MID-WEST

September 27, 2005

The latest release from Collision, Focused and Determined is selling fast and furious. This CD is the highest selling album in the Upset Records catalog. The disc was released on March 22, 2005 and is Collisions first album.

At only 20 years old, Collision has already been involved in some heavy Hip-Hop moments. A Kansas-native, Collision has had the chance to rap alongside industry greats such as Yukmouth and DJ Quik. Yukmouth was an invited guest to Upset Records Day, July 19, 2005 where the Upset family attracted more than 400 fans to the largest club in Colorado, The Palladium. Later in the summer, the Upset family was invited to open for DJ Quik at the Ogden Theatre in the heart of Denver. In addition to performing in Colorado, where the label is based, Collision has also been a part of various car show and club performances throughout the Mid-West including Utah, New Mexico, California, Kansas, and Nebraska.

A highly anticipated CD Release Party is in the works for Focused And Determined. The party will most likely be held in his hometown of Kansas in the Winter. Upset Records will continue touring the previous cities and will expand their shows to include stops in various states, including Missouri, Florida and Texas.

Buzz Magazine recently featured Collision along with Upset Records recording artists Doe, Ray Ray, Von and Bam on the cover of their most recent issue, in stores now. Look for bios, CD reviews and editorials on these artists and many more in the October issue of Buzz Magazine, on shelves 10/1/05, as well as many other local publications. Look for Focused and Determined in major outlets including Sam Goody, Hastings and many indi stores in your local city.

Be one of the first publications to let your readers know about Collision - the next to take over the Mid-West! Visit the newly renovated official website at www.upsetrecords.com for further information on the artists, label, show dates and times and plenty more. To contact the Upset Records Public Relations department with questions or for further general information please write to bridget@upsetrecords.com or call 303.202.6738. Get up with the hottest Hip-Hop/Rap label comin out of Denver, CO Upset Records.

DOE RELEASES NEW SINGLE: YELL IT OUT GETTING NATIONWIDE PLAY

September 27, 2005

Upset Records recording artist Doe has done it again with his latest release Yell It Out featuring E-40 and the late, great, Mac Dre. The single comes off his July 19, 2005 release On the Run Gettin Money. On the same day Doe also released two other albums, Big City Big Dreams and Doe and Mac present: Scars and Tattoos. All albums are distributed by City Hall Records and can be found at Hastings, Sam Goody and local music stores nationwide.

Yell it Out has been getting play on radio stations across the nation, including the San Francisco station 106.1 KMEL, Sacramentos 102.5 and Colorado stations KS107.5 out of Denver and Colorado Springs 96.1. The track has also been featured by DJ2FREAKY at various events in and around the Pensacola, Florida area, expanding Does fan-base deep into the South. DJ2FREAKY reports that the track is getting quite a good response in the clubs.

Buzz Magazine has been the most recent publication to expose people to Doe and the rest of the Upset Records family. This months issue (9/05) displays Upset Records artists Doe, Ray Ray, Collision, Von and Bam on the cover as well as spread throughout the inside pages from front to back. The October issue, on shelves on 10/1/05 will also feature the artists in more detail with bios, interviews and more photos.

In addition to this press, Doe has been performing with celebrities such as Yukmouth and DJ Quik in order to promote himself. He has been performing in car shows and clubs all over the country including performances in Utah, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.

Check out the official website at www.upsetrecords.com for all the latest news on the artists, upcoming events and show dates and times. Please contact the Public Relations department at bridget@upsetrecords.com or 303.202.6738 with any questions, booking inquiries or for further general information. Be one of the first to let the Hip-Hop community know about Doe, in addition to the hottest label to come out the Mid-West - Upset Records!

UPSET RECORDS RAY RAY DEBUTS: BACK ON DA BRICKS SELLING FAST

September 27, 2005

Another hit for Upset Records with the first album from Ray Ray selling at a rapid pace nationwide. Back On Da Bricks, Ray Rays Freshman album is selling in multiples in stores throughout the nation with heavy demand in the Mid-West.

Ray Ray is a Colorado resident with a serious fan-base in Denver and the surrounding areas. This multi-talented artist has been promoting his first CD and doing plenty of local shows in Utah, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado that have kept him busy this summer. Most recently Ray Ray was part of the Upset Records opening act for West Coast legend DJ Quik. He also performed with Yukmouth earlier this summer at the Upset Records CD Release Party called Upset Records Day on July 19, 2005. This show alone attracted over 400 fans from the Denver area and beyond.

With a recent spread in the Colorado-based Buzz magazine, people who are not familiar with Ray Ray certainly will be. The issue hit shelves in the beginning of this month and features Ray Ray along with Doe, Collision, Bam and Von of the Upset family. They are featured on the cover as well as spanning the magazine pages front-to-back. The October issue, on shelves 10/1/05, will feature the artists in further detail with bios, interviews and more photos.

Dont let other publications beat you to this story! Let them know about Ray Ray from Upset Records! Check out the official website at www.upsetrecords.com for all the latest news on the artists, upcoming events and show dates and times. Please contact the Public Relations department at bridget@upsetrecords.com or 303.202.6738 with any questions, booking inquiries or for further general information. Be one of the first to let the Hip-Hop community know about Ray Ray, one of the hottest artists from THE hottest label to come out the Mid-West - Upset Records!

Common Releases Cinematic Video for New Single 'Testify'

As Critically Acclaimed Album BE Approaches Platinum & Common Joins Kanye West on the 'Touch The Sky' Tour

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As Common's already Gold-Selling Getting Out Our Dreams/Geffen Records release, BE quickly approaches Platinum, everyone's favorite MC debuts a cinematic delight for his newest single, "Testify", and readies to join the "Touch The Sky" tour. On the heels of the Kanye West-directed "The Corner" and hit single "Go," this Box Fresh Pictures production boasts an all-star cast of Common fans, including Bill Duke ("Menace II Society," "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'," "X-Men 3"), Steve Harris ("The Practice," "Minority Report"), Wood Harris ("The Wire," "Remember The Titans," "Paid In Full") and Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle & Flow," "Four Brothers," "Baby Boy"). Directed by Anthony Mandler, "Testify," is a rugged, suspense thriller that finds Common spinning the tale of a woman's emotional plea to testify for her man in court that leaves all listeners with an incredible twist at the end. Common premiers the video today on MTV's TRL & BET's 106 & Park and performs "Testify" on Live w/Regis & Kelly October 7th.

BE continues to rack up rave reviews, including being hailed a "classic," "flawless" and "the best hip-hop album of the year." Critics have toasted BE as Common's return to his Resurrection days. The Chi-town icon has scored some of the highest ratings of his career: People (4 out of 4 stars), Rolling Stone (4 Stars), Vibe (4 1/2 v's), The Source (4 1/2 Mics), Blender(4 Stars), Spin (A- Rating), Entertainment Weekly (A- Rating) and USA Today (3 1/2 Stars out of 4), plus he was featured in national outlets like Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Life, and appeared on the covers of Vibe, URB & Time Out Chicago.

In addition to his accomplished and acclaimed musical resume, Common plans to capitalize on his flair for fashion, style, literature & community awareness by launching his very own hat line "Soji", writing his own children's book distributed this fall through Hip-Hop School House, "Mirror In Me," "I Like You, But I Love Me," and "ME: Mixed Emotions" and building on his interest in today's youth. The father of one continues to dedicate time to his Common Ground Foundation, which organizes and runs seminars for kids about health, self-esteem and understanding the often controversial images seen in hip-hop videos and the lifestyle. Most recently the Common Ground Foundation donated proceeds from a special screening of his new video to Hurricane Katrina survivors who are being relocated to the Chicago area. "This is an incredible opportunity for people in Chicago to make a contribution to the relief effort at the local level," explains Common. He also spreads the word of protection. Last November, Viacom approached Common about being involved in their "Knowing is Beautiful" HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. The commercials feature him delivering spoken word he penned specifically for the PSA. Having lost an uncle to the disease, it was an opportunity to encourage kids to get tested and be more aware of how their actions can affect their future.

Born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Common is one of the most respected lyricists and skilled MCs in Hip-Hop. He made his solo CD debut with 1992's Can I Borrow A Dollar, and quickly ascended to prominence in the Hip-Hop universe. Other key CD releases include Resurrection, One Day It'll All Make Sense and Like Water for Chocolate.

BE is the second release on Grammy winner Kanye West's Getting Out Our Dreams label, and it debuted #1 on Billboard's Hip-Hop and R&B charts, his highest debut ever, and #2 on Pop charts, selling 184,617 units the first week. Guest artists joining Common on the new CD are The Last Poets, John Mayer, Bilal, John Legend, Pops and Kanye West himself.

Powered by Kanye West's production and his own critically acclaimed rhyme style, Common's status as one of the greatest rappers of our time has now been confirmed. With his new ranking as Hip-Hip elite, while maintaining his altruistic spirit toward the youth, his community and the world, it would come as no surprise in his already awesome and blessed career if Common's dream of one day appearing on Oprah will come true.

All in a day's work for a man who has turned out to be not so Common after all.

XM Signs Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY(R) Award-Winning Artist and Actor Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges to Host New Music Show

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR) , the nation's leading satellite radio service with more than 5 million subscribers, today announced GRAMMY(R)-nominated multi-platinum- selling artist Ludacris will host a weekly music show exclusively for XM. "Disturbing Tha Peace Presents Ludacris' Open Mic" will feature music hand- selected by the artist, including songs from Ludacris' vast personal music collection, as well as special guests and interviews with other artists. The show will debut in January 2006 on XM's uncut hip-hop channel RAW (XM channel 66).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGO )

"This is the beginning of a great partnership and I really look forward to growing with XM and their millions of subscribers," said Ludacris. "XM Satellite Radio is affording me the opportunity to expose our audience to a wider variety of music and ideas."

Born Christopher Bridges, multi-platinum hip-hop recording artist Ludacris is one of the most recognized names in popular music today. A former radio personality from Atlanta with an impressive knowledge of music, Ludacris has enjoyed enormous success since his major-label debut in 2000 and his music has been embraced by urban media outlets, as well as MTV and pop radio. Beyond his own work as a recording artist, Ludacris is CEO of Disturbing Tha Peace Records, which is home to some of the top-selling artists in R&B and Hip Hop, selling over 15 million records.

In addition to his own lucrative music career, Ludacris has branched out into acting, most recently with a standout performance in the independent film Hustle and Flow, winner of the Sundance Audience Award. He also starred in the critically acclaimed film Crash, which has earned him a Supporting Actor nomination at the First Annual Black Movie Awards, and will be featured on the October 6 episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." A committed philanthropist, Ludacris is also dedicated to giving back to the community through his Ludacris Foundation, which has recently provided free housing for over 100 people.

"Ludacris' passion for and knowledge of music, along with his remarkable talent as an artist, are a natural fit with XM," said Eric Logan, executive vice president of programming for XM Satellite Radio. "The addition of Ludacris to the XM artist family is a testament to XM's commitment to create the best original music programming available on satellite radio."

About XM Satellite Radio

XM is America's number one satellite radio service with more than 5 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City and Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame, XM's 2005 lineup includes more than 150 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: the most commercial-free music channels, plus premier sports, talk, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and 21 channels of the most advanced traffic and weather information. XM was named Best Radio Service at the 2004 Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen/Audi, is available in more than 120 different vehicle models for 2005. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 8-5-05. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department. Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Glu Mobile Launches ''Marc Ecko's Getting Up'' for Mobile Phones

Graffiti Culture Hits Mobile Gaming with the Release of *ecko unltd and Atari's Groundbreaking Action-Adventure Game

Glu Mobile today announced the launch of "Marc Ecko's Getting Up," an action-adventure game based on the highly anticipated title born from collaboration between *ecko unltd. and Atari, Inc.

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2005--Glu Mobile (formerly Sorrent, Inc. and Macrospace Ltd.), a leading creator and global publisher of mobile entertainment, today announced the launch of "Marc Ecko's Getting Up," an action-adventure game based on the highly anticipated title born from collaboration between *ecko unltd. and Atari, Inc. Developed by The Collective, "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" is inspired by graffiti's historically rich and diverse culture and is the culmination of seven years of story and character development by Marc Ecko, the visionary behind several of today's most respected youth lifestyle brands. Like its console and PC counterparts, "Getting Up" puts mobile gamers in the shoes of Trane, a talented graffiti artist and headstrong New Radius citizen striving for freedom of expression in a city where free speech has been outlawed by a corrupt government. As he develops his graffiti skills, Trane must inspire a revolution through his artwork, ultimately transforming the world around him from a colorless, urban sprawl into a fresh and vibrant city. The critically-acclaimed mobile title earned IGN.com's Editor's Choice Award and an 8.4 from GameSpot, whose reviewer said, "Glu Mobile has created a genuinely compelling mobile action game with Marc Ecko's Getting Up." Key features of Marc Ecko's Getting Up for mobile include: -- Execute fluid ninja-style moves in vertically and horizontally designed layouts -- Complete works of graffiti art and save the images into a personal black book -- Twenty-seven levels featuring three environments - city, underground and bridge -- A unique hip-hop score from producer RJD2 that accompanies the action -- Reach the highest spots and get your graf up while avoiding flyers, search lights and motion detectors -- Progress through levels by guiding Trane through one-way doors, onto moving platforms and off of trampolines Getting Up for mobile is now available on major wireless carriers in the U.S. and will be launching worldwide in the coming months. Glu has ported Getting Up to more than 320 unique handsets and developed 2,400 individual skus for the global launch of the title. Glu is also exclusively publishing ringtones and wallpapers as part of the Marc Ecko's Getting Up mobile experience. "Marc Ecko's first video game, Getting Up, is one of the most anticipated titles of the Fall and one of the most exciting projects to come to mobile," said Robert Nashak, senior vice president of production, Glu Mobile. "With Getting Up for mobile, Glu has again taken a console title and successfully reinterpreted it for the mobile platform. This game simultaneously captures the magnitude of the title's original vision and delivers a compelling and fun mobile gaming experience." Glu developed and published "Getting Up" for mobile under an exclusive, multi-year, worldwide licensing agreement with Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR), a leader in interactive entertainment. The PS2, XBox and PC versions of the game are set to launch in November 2005. For more information on Marc Ecko's Getting Up for mobile, visit the official website at http://gettingupmobile.com.

About Glu Mobile Glu Mobile (formerly Sorrent, Inc. and Macrospace Ltd.) is a leading developer and global publisher of mobile entertainment. Glu's portfolio of games, ringtones, wallpapers and information applications include both original titles and entertainment based on major brands including Atari, Cartoon Network, FOX Sports, PopCap Games, Twentieth Century Fox and Celador International. Based in San Mateo, California with offices in London and Singapore, Glu is funded by top venture firms NEA, BA Venture Partners, Granite Global Ventures, Sienna Ventures and Globespan Capital Partners, and by Time Warner Investments. Consumers can find fresh entertainment created exclusively for their mobile phones wherever they see the 'g' character logo or at www.glu.com.

About Atari New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining franchises such as DRIVER(TM), The Matrix(TM), Stuntman(TM) and Test Drive(R); and mass-market and children's franchises such as Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM), and Dragon Ball Z(R). Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

About Marc Ecko Enterprises The youngest member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's board of directors, Marc Ecko is founder of *ecko unltd., the world famous rhino brand. Since its creation in 1993, the group of companies that comprise Marc Ecko Enterprises has grown to include: *ecko unltd.(R) men's and Eckored(R) women's apparel, as well as outerwear, footwear, watches, eyewear, underwear, belts, bags, hats, small leather goods, formalwear and more.

Marc Ecko Enterprises also includes Marc Ecko "Cut & Sew" (a contemporary menswear line launched Fall 2004); G-Unit(R) clothing and accessories (a joint venture with multi-platinum musician, 50 Cent); Zoo York(R) (a line of action sports-inspired clothing and accessories); and Avirex(R) Sportswear Collection (a licensed mid-tier brand debuting Spring 2005). The Company also publishes Complex(R) magazine, a men's consumer magazine with a rate base of 325,000, and is developing Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure(TM), the first truly authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti art debuting in the second half of 2005. *ecko unltd. products are available in over 5,000 stores domestically and in over 45 countries internationally, as well as through 34 of its own retail stores across the country. For additional information, please visit www.marceckoenterprises.com.

GLU MOBILE, GLU, and the 'g' character logo are trademarks of Glu Mobile. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Malika Makes The Band . . . Well Sort Of.

Making the Bands Second Season Starts October 6th

Oakland, Ca - Oakland native Malika Ubaka has been through a lot of things in her lifetime. Shes survived the harsh Oakland streets, succeeded at single-parenthood and even survived a devastating fire that destroyed her grandparents house. In the midst of what some my view as hardships and struggles, Malikas dreams of being a star never wavered.

Starting off as a rapper in the late 90s, Malika expanded her talents to singing, songwriting, modeling, and acting. During the past decade, Malika has performed and recorded with the likes of Hip-Hop Legend Too Short, Dwayne Wiggins (of Tony Toni Tone and the DL Hugley Show on E!) and E A SKI(Ice Cube, Frontline). She won the Ruff Ryders Go Hard or Go Home competition in 2003 and has appeared on TV shows, in magazines, and on runways, becoming a local celebrity. This year her star shined nationwide after she landed a coveted spot on the MTV reality show Making the Band. Hand picked by three close associates of P. Diddy, Malika was thrust into a house with 19 other girls all vying to become the main kitty of P.Diddys Pussycats (as dubbed by KING MAGAZINE).

When I found out I was going to New York, I knew that I had been waiting my whole life for this moment, Malika said. It was crazy, the same week the premiere episode of Making the Band aired, I was in Jet Magazine as the Beauty of the Week and appeared in an episode of Blind Date. To me, those occurrences signified I was destined to make the band.

And make the band she did. Well sort of. In the last episode of the first season, Diddy called the remaining girls back from a month-long hiatus. Some girls had gained weight, while others like Malika, stepped up their game while away. Before the last episode ended, Diddy made an astonishing decision. Although he had chosen 3 of the girls from the first season including Malika, there would be no band! He planned to hold more auditions in select cities and those new recruits would join Malika, Aubrey, and Aundrea for the second season.

I wasnt surprised when Diddy decided not to make the band, Malika divulges. You could tell that he was leaning in that direction, thats why I had to lose those extra ten pounds and come back to New York with my A-game. When I was back in the Bay, I stayed up on my vocal and dance lessons. I worked out every day because I was focused.

Even though Diddys decision has somewhat delayed her rise to stardom, Malika has stayed focused and productive. As of late, Malika has been recording with rap legends Too Short, Richie Rich, and newcomer Clyde Carson of The Team . She is currently working on releasing a workout DVD that will focus on whittling down those problem areas and is also collaborating with producers and songwriters from The A-Team (Full Force), Mprint Music, and Uglyfingers on new material just in case things with Diddy dont pan out.

Through all of my experiences in the music business, Ive learned to always be prepared for anything and use every opportunity as a stepping stone, states Malika. No matter what Season 2 brings, Im still gonna be Malika, Im still gonna be that sexy chick with a ghetto twist. And Im gonna be prepared to take my career to the next level no matter what.

Watch MTVs Making the Band 3 Season 2 on October 6th to see if Malika makes the bandAGAIN! The marathon of season 1 complete with finalist commentary airs October 1st.

You can find out more info on Malika at www.malikaent.com and purchase her debut album You Dont Know at www.cdbaby.com/malika , Tower Records, and Rasputins. The CD You Dont Know, features an introduction by 106 KMEL DJ Chuy Gomez, production by The A-Team (Full Force), and collaborations with singer/songwriter Meilani and rapper T.Husle.

Sprint Customers Can Now Create Their Own Ringers for Their Mobile Phones

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2005--Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced the launch of ToneMaker DJ, a new and unique mobile Music Tone application by Sonic Branding Solutions, which puts power and creativity in the hands of Sprint PCS customers by allowing them to easily create original Music Tones, right on their phones. With ToneMaker DJ's compelling library of thousands of stylish and interchangeable music parts, customers can produce and save their own personal Music Tones for use on their Sprint PCS Vision Phones. In addition, the application's "DJ Lounge" community offers powerful features that allow the best ringers to gain recognition, be heard and even purchased by the application's subscribers. "Sprint customers now have more choice and flexibility in making their mobile phone more their own," said Jeff Hallock, vice president of consumer product marketing and strategy for Sprint. "ToneMaker DJ is an exciting application that is suitable for people of all ages, and with many different musical styles and a simple user interface, ToneMaker DJ makes music-making a fun and rewarding experience." To create custom ringers, customers can use different mixing methods, or 'Modes', offered by the application. With 'Step Mode', sounds for the Drum, Bass, Rhythm and Lead tracks are chosen in order, and a Music Tone is built piece by piece. With 'Jam Mode', the user begins with a complete Music Tone and can swap sounds in and out at will. There's even an 'Auto Mode' where customers only have to press a button and a unique Music Tone is generated just for them! In each Mode, customers choose sounds from the application's sound library, which is organized by style. Part of the fun is mixing the styles together - HipHop, Rock, Funk, Electronic and Dancehall - and creating unique ringers that reflect the individual style of the maker. Customers can also subscribe to regular SMS notifications that provide updates on new celebrity DJs, artists, music styles and other content as they are added to the ToneMaker DJ library. Along with the ability to produce original Music Tones, ToneMaker DJ offers a robust community experience, providing customers with access to the DJ Lounge where custom-made ringers are ranked and shared. Within this community, customers can view, listen to and purchase Top Tones, Latest Tones, Favorite Tones and Celeb Tones or Browse by DJ. For $4.99 a month, customers can put their own spin on six quality audio ringers (i.e., Music Tones) every month, along with a seventh custom ringer to share with a friend each month. Sprint customers can access ToneMaker DJ by going to Menu/ Downloads/ Ringers/ Get New and then Create Your Own/ ToneMaker DJ on their Sprint PCS Vision Phones. About Sprint Nextel Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About Sonic Branding Sonic Branding Solutions is a leading worldwide provider of mass market wireless and Internet games and entertainment applications. The company was founded in 2003 to focus on creating and distributing highly entertaining subscription applications that merge the worlds of mobile games, music, cell phone personalization, and user-generated content communities. Its leading applications include Name That Tune!(TM), Hip Hop Hollywood Squares(TM), and ToneMaker DJ(TM). For more information, visit www.sonicbrandingsolutions.com.

Mobile Media For the People, By the People

Ultrashort Media Inc. today announced the availability of BuzzLaunch, a mobile music and viral buzz-making service for independent record labels.

(PRWEB) September 28, 2005 -- Ultrashort Media Inc. today announced the availability of BuzzLaunch, a mobile music and viral buzz-making service for independent record labels.

BuzzLaunch mobile media is the affordable alternative to releasing new music and new music videos out on any of the major music TV or mobile entertainment brands says Ultrashort Media VP Juliette Deinum. BuzzLaunch allows promotional executives at the 99% of labels who do not have 6-figure publicity budgets to ignite a buzz for their latest audio and video releases, by releasing them as streaming mobile entertainment under our constellation of MobileVoltage micro-brands including PirateMobileRadio, KultKartoons, PimpLists, and Underground Mobile.

Beau Buck, CEO, adds BuzzLaunch gives AR executives an all-access pass to the mobile entertainment distribution channels, without them having to negotiate difficult and limiting operator deals. The net result is increased visibility and greater buzz. The fan mail artists get after their fans have seen and heard their music and videos on mobile phones is really great, and this service is a great alternative to MTV and other promotional networks. BuzzLaunch is truly mobile media for the people, by the people.

Mobile media released in the BuzzLaunch program is available on Sprint, O2 (UK), and other mobile operators under the various MobileVoltage microlabels. BuzzLaunch media will also be distributed to EVDO and Media Charger services as soon as these services become available.

For further information on BuzzLaunch or the Mobile Voltage mobile media microlabels, please contact Beau Buck at Ultrashort Media, Inc., in Los Angeles at 213-988-0899, or see http://www.MobileVoltage.com.

(PRWEB) September 28, 2005 -- Chiku Urban Marketing and Promotions announces its newest creation...Soul Fusion. This five-part monthly concert series is a celebration of Memphis' burgeoning underground hip hop and soul music movement. The series will feature new acts exploding onto the scene locally, nationally, and internationally performing alongside seasoned national acts. Historically, the promotional groups niche has been providing new music from emerging artists to stimulate the diverse taste buds of local music lovers.

We are geared toward the eclectic music lover, says Tonya Dyson-Jerry, founder of Chiku Urban. I love a variety of musical genres being that I am an artist myself and thats what Chiku Urban promotes. We are not interested in following the mainstream; we are more interested in redirecting the mainstream into a more exciting direction. The series will kick off Saturday, October 1 with N'Dambi (www.ndambionline.com) along with local favorites Carmen, Men-Nefer, and Will Graves - more affectionately known as "The Fam".

An accomplished artist who has finally achieved her opportunity to shine, N'Dambi joins her wagon to a current slew of artists, such as Erykah Badu, Cree Summer, Angie Stone, Kelis, Lauryn Hill and Cherokee, who are returning integrity and soulfulness to music that has been absent for far too long. For navigating herself through a corrosive industry and finding her own voice, N'Dambi is truly one deep diva.

The anchor show to the series is October 1, 2005 at the newly renovated Complex at 704 Madison Ave. The doors open at 8pm with the show starting promptly at 9pm. Advance tickets to the series are $20 and $25 at the door. Tickets are sold in the following locations: Spin Street (Poplar Plaza), New World Accessories (Midtown), Nappi by Nature (Whitehaven), Java Juice and Jazz (South Memphis), The Complex (Downtown) & online at www.chikuurban.com. A limited number of VIP tickets are available by contacting (901)276-4335.

About Chiku Urban Marketing & PromotionsChiku is the premiere resource for quality marketing/promotions in the southeast region. Relying on sound principles and a proven track record Chiku is constantly pushing the envelope on creativity. For more information please visit www.chikuurban.com.

The Joe Jackson Hip Hop Boot Camp establishes international Hip Hop Music competitions where the most promising young talents can be identified, showcased and promoted before worldwide audiences, the media and the music industry.

New York City (PRWEB) September 28, 2005 -- "Searching for the world's #1 Hip Hop Music Star"

The Joe Jackson Hip Hop Boot Camp establishes international Hip Hop Music competitions where the most promising young talents can be identified, showcased and promoted before worldwide audiences, the media and the music industry.

In addition to money prizes, concert engagements and recording opportunities, The Joe Jackson Hip Hop Boot Camp also nurtures the artistic and musical development of the competitors and provides the participants with valuable experience on how they can improve their performance and what their next step should be.

Competitions are open to unsigned artists ages 18 and over. Solo or Group acts from all countries are eligible to participate.

Join CEO Michael Fomkin and the Impact 210 team on Wednesday October 5th from 9PM to 11PM featuring a Fashion Showcase by Femenina Cosmetics and Buttafly Unlimited, live music by Antonio Dangerfield Funk Band and DJ Scientific on the turntables.

Aspiring and experienced actors and models are invited to attend. Exclusive Style Connection is a multifaceted entertainment-networking event that specializes in connecting talent with top-notch scouts, casting agents and industry movers and shakers. This event is a chic open forum that allows talent to shop their portfolios, ask industry questions and see experienced talent at work.

Scouts will be available for networking before 11PM.Aafterwards, stay and enjoy the fashion showcase, live music and deejay! To attend this event, ALL talent and industry professionals MUST RSVP before, Monday, October 3rd. This is a PRIVATE affair and only those on the list will be permitted admission.

Come dressed to impress and prepared for success; bring comp cards, head shots, portfolios and business cards.

ABOUT US:Newly launched in 2005, IMPACT 210 welcomes talent to visit our 5,000 square foot state of the art facility, conveniently located in SOHO, the fashion center of New York City, featuring both a spacious photo and casting studio, conference rooms, office space, a computer center with wi-fi internet access, full service café, plasma TVs and a DJ booth, available for holding open calls, photo shoots, meetings, presentations and workshops.

Mobile specialists YR Media have today announced their intention to re-brand as Indie Mobile to highlight their focus on promoting and distributing music from the independent labels.

YR Media originally started as YourRelease Ltd in 2000, providing online and mobile marketing services for record labels. The company launched award winning agency brand YR Media in 2002, making a strategic decision to focus exclusively on mobile. Since this launch YR has become one of the leading mobile music aggregators in the UK representing over 75 labels and 60,000 tracks.

The company is being re-branded as Indie Mobile following a management buyout by Marketing Director Seth Jackson and a team of private equity investors.

We have always been a music focused company says Seth, this re-brand shows our absolute commitment to Independent music and our belief that the 26% market share of the independents can be directly translated into mobile revenues.

Mobile is now a serious revenue stream, a strong content showcase and one of the most powerful and personal methods of marketing communication available. It has taken a long time for the labels to wake up to the potential of mobile but I think that time is finally here and I like to think that we played a part in that education process.

Indie Mobile has recently announced mobile deals across 32 territories to distribute realtones, full track downloads, video and ringback tones from labels such as Ninja Tune, Skint, Wall of Sound and Hed Kandi. They licence music from over 70 labels in the UK and run over 40 mobile content portals selling direct to fans on artist and label web and WAP sites.

This ratings achievement comes right on the heels of VH1 posting its most watched quarter ever in prime and total day among total viewers. VH1 also scored its 13th consecutive quarter of growth among total viewers in total day. VH1 programming highlights for the quarter included "Hogan Knows Best" which premiered with a 1.9 in the 18-49 demo and earned the distinction as the network's highest rated series premiere in its history. "Hogan" and "Celebrity Fit Club 2" finished their runs this past quarter as VH1's highest rated series ever.

Learn more about these and all other VH1 programs at http://www.vh1.com/.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in over 87 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH Uno and VH1 Country. Connect with VH1 at http://www.vh1.com/.

Sprint and RealNetworks Launch Rhapsody Radio

For the First Time, Consumers Can Enjoy Rhapsody Radio on Mobile Phones; Service Includes Streaming Radio Stations and Podcasts, Freestyle Rap Service and Music News and Videos

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2005--Sprint (NYSE:S), the third-largest wireless carrier in the United States, and RealNetworks(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:RNWK), the leading creator of digital media services and software, today announced the launch of Rhapsody(R) Radio(TM) on the Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Multimedia Service. Available nationwide, Rhapsody Radio provides Sprint customers high-quality streaming radio stations from Real's award-winning Rhapsody online music service, streaming podcasts, "Beats N Breaks" (a new freestyle rap service), and music news and videos. "Sprint customers now have more choices for all their entertainment and music needs," said Jeff Hallock, vice president of consumer product marketing and strategy for Sprint. "The addition of Rhapsody Radio gives customers a popular catalog of commercial-free streaming music, music news and independent music videos which will allow Sprint customers a new way to discover artists." "We are delighted to make some of the popular stations in Rhapsody Radio available to Sprint PCS customers," said Dan Sheeran, Senior Vice President of Premium Consumer Services, RealNetworks. "This is an important step in our plan to make Rhapsody available to consumers any time from any device." Rhapsody Radio includes "Urban Hitz Radio," "Alternative Radio," "Country," "70s Station" and "Pop Hits," as well as "Beats N Breaks," which features the beats from many of today's most popular songs and allows subscribers to "freestyle" rap to the instrumental tracks. Customers can also enjoy streaming podcasts from KCRW - Santa Monica 89.9 FM (KCRW.com), National Public Radio's Southern California flagship station, including "Morning Becomes Eclectic," which showcases live recordings of in-studio performances by independent and unsigned artists and the popular "Le Show" with satirist Harry Shearer. Customers will also receive music news and reviews and music videos from IMNTV(TM) (OTCBB:GMUS), part of the Global Music International Company and leading international aggregator of R&B, Hip Hop, International, Rock and Pop videos. Real is the leading provider of online music-subscription services with more than 1.15 million subscribers to its PC-based services. Rhapsody Radio is the latest joint offering from Sprint and Real. The two companies currently offer a variety of steaming video content via Real - rTV(TM). Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Services is available nationwide to customers with a Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Phone, and channels, like Rhapsody Radio, can be purchased a la carte through the phone by going to Menu/ Media Player and then selecting from a category of choices, including Music & Radio, Entertainment, News & Weather, and many more. Rhapsody Radio is the latest of four streaming music channels available to Sprint customers. Customers can purchase Rhapsody Radio by typing in channel 39 in the Sprint Media Player or by going to the Music & Radio folder and selecting the new channel; the cost is $6.95 per month for unlimited access. About Sprint Nextel Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About RealNetworks, Inc. RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including Rhapsody(R), RealPlayer 10, and casual PC and mobile games. RealNetworks has more than two million subscribers to its premium content subscription services. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/company. (C) 2005 RealNetworks, Inc. RealNetworks and SuperPass are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- eMusic, the world's No. 1 independent music service, selling more than 2.4 million tracks monthly, today announced a landmark partnership with TVT Records, one of the world's most innovative independent labels, which includes eMusic licensing more than 2,800 tracks from some 200 albums. With four of the top ten independent albums in the last year -- and at one point simultaneously holding the top three spots on Billboard's Independent Albums chart -- TVT Records is recognized by Soundscan and Billboard Magazine as the nation's No. 1 independent label.

Among the TVT artists launching on eMusic are chart toppers including Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, Default, Ying Yang Twins, Pitbull, Sevendust as well as emerging artists like Ambulance LTD, Teedra Moses and Towers of London. In its 20-year history, TVT has been on the industry's cutting edge introducing to the world such impact artists as Nine Inch Nails, Underworld and Ja Rule. TVT Records provides the credibility and focus of an indie and the marketing and distribution power of a major while priding itself on grass roots artist development.

"We are very proud to associate eMusic, the number one independent music service with TVT, which is unquestionably the number one independent label," said David Pakman, CEO of eMusic and a managing director of Dimensional Associates, the private equity arm of JDS Capital that owns eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing. "TVT has consistently broken important new musical ground, explored musical styles and business models long considered anathema to traditional labels, and defined the independent spirit so essential to growing the music business. The addition of TVT's catalog significantly expands the richness and breadth of our offerings. Nowhere else but eMusic can one find this caliber of artists at the price points we offer -- and in a universally compatible MP3 format."

About eMusic

eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/) stands alone as the only digital music service that is 100% focused on serving the needs of independent music fans and independent labels. Delivering more than 2.4 million downloads each month, eMusic is among the top digital music services, offering a diverse catalog of 750,000 tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world's top independent labels. eMusic was not only the first service to sell songs and albums in the popular MP3 format, it was the first company to launch a digital music subscription service. Unlike other services that severely restrict portability, eMusic allows members complete flexibility to burn CDs, transfer to MP3 devices and make multiple copies for personal use. eMusic also offers access to exclusive recordings from eMusicLive's network of premier music venues across the country. eMusic subscription plans start at $9.99 per month for 40 downloads. A free trial is available to all new users. Based in New York and San Diego, eMusic is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.

NOTE: eMusic is a registered trademark and eMusic.com is a trademark of eMusic.com Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About TVT Records

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in New York City, TVT Records is the nation's No. 1 independent record company as cited by Billboard and Soundscan. In its 20-year history TVT has been on the industry's cutting edge introducing to the world such impact artists as Nine Inch Nails, Underworld and Ja Rule. Notable current successes include Lil' Jon & The East Side Boys, Default, Pitbull, The Ying Yang Twins and Ambulance LTD.

A leader in music delivery on the Internet, TVT's pioneering efforts to nurture the digital marketplace have been marked by the still unprecedented offering of their entire catalog of music and video for free timed-out digital download from http://www.tvtrecords.com/ since the fall of 1999. The label's strategic partnerships with leading digital music and content providers have put it on the cutting edge of the evolving music market online.

YouthVille Detroit to Open

First of its Kind Youth Development Center in Midwest

DETROIT, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- YouthVille Detroit, the largest, comprehensive youth development center in the Midwest, will open its doors to serve the young people of Detroit and southeast Michigan.

YouthVille Detroit, a program of the Detroit Youth Foundation (DYF), is located at 7375 Woodward in the New Center area. The $15.8 million facility will combine youth and family services, mentoring, leadership development, health care, arts and crafts, fitness programs including sports, dance and exercise, music and drama, technology and a cyber cafe all under one roof in an impressive, completely renovated 75,000-square-foot leadership development facility.

To mark the Grand Opening of YouthVille Detroit, DYF will host two events. A ceremonial grand opening is scheduled for Thursday, October 6 at 11 a.m. with key community leaders. This event will include DYF officials, tenant and program partners, funders, elected officials, students and parents.

YouthVille Detroit then opens to the public with a community open house Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at which for the first time parents will be able to register their child to become a YouthVille Detroit member. All young people ages 11-19 will be welcome.

"The concept for YouthVille Detroit begins with a vision to create a world-model community of healthy neighborhoods where citizens can nurture Detroit youth -- beginning with a facility for and about youth," said Dr. Gerald K. Smith, President and CEO of Detroit Youth Foundation. "By providing support and opportunities for young people, YouthVille Detroit offers youth a way to avoid delinquent behavior and develop leadership skills for life. Thus, the facility will provide an atmosphere of support and circumvent risky behavior by focusing on youth assets and their environment; promoting alternative activities; addressing the needs in children's lives; and building social competencies.

"This is truly a collaborative effort and we are thrilled to offer this magnificent gift to the youth of Detroit and surrounding areas."

Smith said to our knowledge there is no facility like YouthVille Detroit in Michigan or in the Midwest with its youth-focused programming that has been developed with the active involvement of young people who will be served by the facility. A Youth Steering Committee, a group of exceptional young adults, was involved every step of the way in planning and building the facility right down to such details as deciding on the carpet, furniture and paint color of the facility.

"I really enjoyed picking out the furniture," said Ahmed Heath, a junior at Martin Luther King Jr. High School and steering committee member. "YouthVille Detroit is really a youth center built by youth."

YouthVille Detroit is equipped and staffed to offer a variety of activities including:

* Technology including computer labs and training for academics and leisure from basic skills to digital photo and movies

* Academic support including homework help and SAT and ACT preparation

"YouthVille Detroit has the capacity to service 250 to 300 young people a day," said Lynn Burdell-Williams, Director of Programs of YouthVille Detroit. "There is something for every young person from fencing, to art, to music, to fitness and learning."

YouthVille Detroit will be home to DYF and collaborative tenant partners in addition to more than a dozen community and program partners including:

Architects for the building are Hamilton Anderson Associates and White Construction is the general contractor. The facility is comprised of three buildings and a fourth newly constructed building with an urban look and is designed to be environmentally friendly, with certification pending by The U.S. Green Building Council. Part of the DYF logo, which consists of images of young people holding hands will be etched onto the gymnasium and the north side of the building city permitting will signify a facility that will be for youth and about youth.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR YOUTHVILLE DETROIT

On Saturday, October 8, 2005 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. young people ages 11- 19 for YouthVille Detroit. All young people must have the following items to register:

* They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian* Must have an official birth certificate and* Annual memberships are $25 per youth. Subsidies are available for families that qualify. (DYF will accept the following methods of payment: Check or Money Order)

YouthVille Detroit is a program of the Detroit Youth Foundation. DYF was formed in 1999 as an outgrowth of The Kellogg Foundation's highly successful 20-Year Youth Initiatives Program in the Northern High School service area. Today, DYF encourages positive youth development through collaborative partnerships and funding strategies that help create a healthy community environment. The Foundation works to provide programs and activities at the community level that support children and guide positive youth development. DYF's primary service area reaches from the Detroit River, north to Six Mile, Wyoming to the West and Conner to the East but expands to serve citywide. No youth will be excluded based on residency. DYF is a 501 (c) (3) and a 509 (a) (1) public charitable foundation and tax exempt organization.

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of their Emmy and Peabody Award-winning public education initiative KNOW HIV/AIDS, Viacom Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation today announced "The Know Is Spreading," the latest wave of the campaign, which aims to normalize testing as part of routine health care. The new series will feature targeted television, radio and outdoor messages and an online marketing effort to encourage young people and those at higher risk for HIV to get tested. Since launching KNOW HIV/AIDS in January 2003, Viacom has committed $600 million in media value to the campaign, which includes public service announcements (PSAs) and storylines in popular television programming.

Working with Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the Miami-based ad agency, Viacom and Kaiser advance the campaign's emphasis on testing with "The Know Is Spreading" theme that underscores how information can spread faster than any disease, and asks those at risk to "know" their status. This latest effort enlisted The Barnstormers, a collective of young New York- and Tokyo-based artists, who used a city block in Philadelphia as a temporary canvas to create powerful artistic images, which serve as the essence of the new national PSAs and the new online component. With this latest wave, KNOW HIV/AIDS seeks to de-stigmatize testing by taking away the sense of fear so people can protect themselves or find the necessary care.

"One in four people living with HIV in the U.S. do not know that they are infected," said Matt James, Senior Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation. "Our hope is that KNOW HIV/AIDS will help raise awareness among young people at risk for HIV and encourage them to get tested."

In this latest wave, KNOW HIV/AIDS introduced two new elements that expand the scope of the campaign to date. In collaboration with the city of Philadelphia, KNOW HIV/AIDS transformed a city block into a giant HIV/AIDS awareness art installation, which is featured in the new television ads and on the new online effort. The Barnstormers, who paint in an urban, graffiti style, created the vibrant mural that spread over the streets, sidewalks, walls, subways and cars of the city to illustrate the power of knowledge about the epidemic spreading through a community and the importance of knowing one's HIV status. The Barnstormers worked with a group of young artists from the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia. The campaign also includes Grammy Award- winning hip-hop artist Common, who contributed four original spoken word pieces for the radio PSAs and is featured in the television ads.

"HIV/AIDS continues to be a threat to the people of Philadelphia and across the country. My administration is dedicated to taking innovative steps to highlight the importance of testing to our citizens," said Mayor John Street of Philadelphia. "That's why we are proud to support this effort and build on this city's commitment to tackle HIV/AIDS and on its long tradition of public art. By teaming up with KNOW HIV/AIDS, we are able to spread knowledge about the disease, which will serve as our greatest defense against a growing epidemic."

Also, for the first time in the initiative's three-year history, KNOW HIV/AIDS launched an online marketing effort, www.spreadtheknow.com, which was made in conjunction with the Philadelphia mural installation and the latest round of PSAs. The site features various interactive content, including a virtual graffiti wall on which users can create their own art, similar to that of The Barnstormers. Users can also download screensavers, view behind-the- scenes video featuring special footage of the artists and interviews with Common, and "spread the know" themselves by forwarding the site to others. Most importantly, the site includes information about HIV/AIDS and an HIV testing center locator so users can find a testing site near them.

Common said, "I've witnessed firsthand the effects of HIV/AIDS and realized the difference self-love and support from the community can make. I also know how much of an influence we as hip-hop artists have on our audiences, so I wanted to share my self and my talents to help open the eyes and hearts of young people to the importance of testing."

The 12 new PSAs premiered today across Viacom's television, radio and outdoor properties nationwide. Also, this wave of PSAs marks the first time KNOW HIV/AIDS will utilize mall posters, in addition to other outdoor media formats. In its third year, KNOW HIV/AIDS has created a total of 123 PSAs that promote HIV/AIDS testing, prevention and awareness.

Carl D. Folta, Executive Vice President of Viacom, said, "The KNOW HIV/AIDS initiative continues to push boundaries creatively because we know how important it is to be innovative if we want to continue to make an impact. The creativity of Crispin and The Barnstormers, in combination with our powerful media brands, Kaiser's health expertise and Common's resonance with an important target audience, helps to ensure we remain relevant to those at risk."

The new PSAs (four television, four radio and four outdoor) are running across Viacom's broadcast networks CBS and UPN; cable networks MTV, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV and Showtime; and 178 Infinity Broadcasting radio stations, a majority of which are located in the top 50 markets. Both English and Spanish ads are displayed on billboard, bus and bus shelter advertising faces in the nation's largest markets. All of the PSAs are tagged with the campaign's website, www.knowhivaids.org, and hotline (1-866-344-KNOW) for those seeking more information.

About KNOW HIV/AIDS

KNOW HIV/AIDS combines the power of Viacom's media brands and unmatched audience relationships with the public health expertise of the Kaiser Family Foundation to foster awareness of the disease and its prevention. Every Viacom division is involved in the campaign, and 123 messages have aired to date, totaling $600 million in media value. Many of the PSAs are offered rights-free and cost-free to other television or radio networks. Additionally, Viacom properties, including CBS, UPN, MTV, BET, VH1 and Showtime, have produced more than 46 television shows with HIV/AIDS themes seen by millions worldwide. The campaign targets areas of the world where Viacom has a concentration of assets, especially the United States and Europe, and it partners with other companies to focus on regions most affected by the disease. Outside of the United States, KNOW HIV/AIDS is branded Staying Alive, building on MTV International's award-winning campaign of the same name, and encompasses the full range of Viacom's international properties.

Through a joint effort of KNOW HIV/AIDS and the BBC World Service Trust, messages in seven languages are broadcast to 60 million people in Africa and the Caribbean. In Russia, the campaign has teamed up with Gazprom-Media, Russia's largest private media holding, to help implement a cross-platform initiative on HIV/AIDS. KNOW HIV/AIDS is working in China with MTV and CCTV for a branded AIDS awareness campaign in the world's largest country.

About Viacom Inc.

Viacom is a leading global media company, with preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming that appeals to audiences in every demographic category across virtually all media, the company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, music, and comedy. Viacom's well- known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, King World, Spike TV, Showtime, Paramount Parks, and Simon & Schuster. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at www.viacom.com.

About The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health issues to policymakers, the media, and the general public. It is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Information on HIV/AIDS is available at www.kff.org, and a daily news summary report on developments in HIV/AIDS is available on www.kaisernetwork.org, the Foundation's free health information service.

About Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Based in Miami, Crispin Porter + Bogusky's client list includes Burger King, Volkswagen, google, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Coke Zero and Sprite. In 2004, in an unprecedented sweep, CP+B became the world's most awarded agency by winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, an O'Toole award for overall creative excellence from the American Association of Advertising Agencies, as well as the grand prizes at the CLIOS, EFFIES, Kelly's, OBIES, APG awards and the One Show. The agency and its work has been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Fast Company, Time, Newsweek, Advertising Age, Creativity and Archive. This year CP+B was named "Agency of the Year" by both Advertising Age and Creativity Magazine.

Bloomberg Recognizes Latin Rap Conference, as Hundreds of Participants from East to West Coast Converge on New York City

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 600 participants packed Latin Quarters in New York City to attend the 3rd annual Latin Rap Conference (LRC), the first conference of its kind to be celebrated in the Big Apple. Rich Isaacson, Fuerte Group principal and event organizer, declared the conference a total success exceeding all initial expectations as representatives from all major record labels, Clear Channel, Univision, Telemundo, MTV, Sirius, XM, and artists like N.O.R.E., Lil Rob, Voltio, and Chingo Bling attended.

The LRC received kudos from Mayor Bloomberg's Latin Media and Entertainment Commission which declared Sept. 19-20 Official Latin Rap Conference Day in New York City. Elizabeth Caldas, executive director of the NYC Latin Media & Entertainment Commission attended the conference and delivered a Mayoral proclamation in front of a packed venue. An excerpt from the proclamation included, "New York City is proud to host the third edition of the Latin Rap Conference ... Such amazing turnout is testament to the great commercial and artistic potential of this music ... "

Shysti (pka) Jesse Perez, founder of the LRC, noted, "This is unbelievable and truly amazing. When we first got together in San Diego, we formed a Latin rap coalition with the hopes of beginning a dialogue. Today, this is no longer a dream. Latinos in rap [hip hop and reggaeton] officially have a voice in front of top music and radio executives who previously were in the dark about the contributions we're making to the industry as a whole."

Conference Highlights

Al Fuentes, program director for Mega 101 KLOL Houston, one of the first radio stations to play reggaeton, participated in a heated panel discussion that extended to members of the audience. Passionate up-and-coming artists questioned radio DJs personalities like DJ Kazzanova (La Kalle/Univision radio); Khool Aid (Pocos Pero Locos/ L.A.) and Ebro (HOT 97 New York program director) regarding their on-air choices and playlists.

Many artists voiced that only a handful of hit singles are overplayed on the air while many talented singers who are trying to make it into the business are ignored. DJ Kassanova defended his position by stating "We are in the radio business, not the music business," to which industry veteran Al Fuentes, responded: "We are all in the music business and we all play a role in not only supporting good music, but creating every opportunity for up-and- coming talent to have their music on-the-air to provide the exposure they need to make it."

Leila Cobo, Billboard Magazine's Latin Bureau Chief, brought a unique perspective to the Corporate Marketing panel by encouraging an important discussion on the role of the corporate sector in today's music industry. As the music sector undergoes a wild transformation, corporate executives are increasingly playing an important role by tapping into new up-and-coming artists to participate in regional and national campaigns as is the case with Pepsi, McDonald's and even Disney in incorporating rap, hip hop and reggaeton to their national campaigns and music tours.

The conference was followed by a dynamic performance from Jeannie Ortega and the showcase benefit for Katrina Victims which raised $2,000. Fuerte's Isaacson confirmed they'll be hosting the LRC in NYC again next year.

Cantamos All American Gospel!

Contest to Highlight Latin Music, Celebrities

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The producers of All American Gospel announced today that not only does the show look forward to receiving entries from all forms of Latin music in the vocal contest, but several artists have agreed to be celebrity guest judges.

The contest will be hosted by Michelle Williams, a member of the multi-platinum and Grammy-winning group, Destiny's Child. Michelle is also a solo Gospel recording artist.

Rachel Lampa, Freddie Colloca, and Chuckie Perez will all serve as some of the fifteen guest judges, helping vocal contestants with constructive tips, and narrowing the twelve finalists down to one grand prize winner.

Rachel Lampa is a Dove Award winning singer-songwriter with four #1 singles under her belt. Her talent has taken her to World Youth Day, where she performed for Pope John Paul II, to the crusades of both Billy Graham and Franklin Graham. She also had her music featured in the hit movie "A Walk to Remember."

Freddie Colloca was named a top-10 breakthrough artist on several lists the year his first album was released. He's back this year with another CD releasing later this year.

And Chuckie Perez, who is releasing a new CD this fall, is credited with starting the "Holy Hip Hop" movement within Christian music.

All American Gospel (www.allamericangospel.com) is a vocal competition that culminates in 5 national simulcasts from mid-November to mid-December. The winner will get a recording contract, and the twelve finalists will tour internationally with World Vision. Internet registrations for the contest close October 8th.

The undeniable popularity of Gospel music and the increasing number of 'cross-over' artists from gospel to mainstream music is a testimony to the popularity of the genre.

Solo vocalists between the ages of 14 and 22 are eligible for this competition which will welcome entries from a diverse range of musical influences -- hymns, pop, alternative, even hip-hop. Twelve finalists will compete on national simulcasts for a recording contract, and will join program sponsor World Vision to encouraging giving back from the abundance they have.

Unlike other competitions, live audiences will vote via ballot at the church and school audition sites, and during the final rounds of the competition, satellite audiences at thousands of churches will view the performances and vote via phone and internet.

MusicNet Expands Catalog to 2 Million Tracks

World's Leading Business-to-Business Digital Music Service Provider Bolsters Industry's Largest Library of Licensed Music for Subscription and Purchase

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- MusicNet, the world's leading business-to-business digital music service provider, today announced that it has expanded its catalog of licensed music to 2 million tracks -- the largest available in the industry today for subscription and purchase. MusicNet, whose distribution partners include Yahoo!, HMV, Virgin Digital, AOL, iMesh, Cdigix, and Charter, RCN and Adelphia (through Synacor), offers a suite of fully customized digital music experiences, including the ability to buy digital music subscriptions, portable subscriptions and downloads.

"Expanding our library to 2 million tracks is both a Company and industry milestone, and it is also testimony to consumers' increasing demand for digital music," said Alan McGlade, President and CEO of MusicNet. "Our Content team is dedicated to adding new genres, record labels and artists to our catalog so that we can offer our partners the most comprehensive collection to meet their customers' individual needs."

MusicNet's catalog of 2 million licensed tracks for subscription and purchase represents all of the major record labels and more than more than 25,000 independent labels. In addition, the catalog is comprised of tens-of-thousands of artists and 23 genres of music, including Alternative, Hip Hop, Rock, Country, Pop, Latin, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Classical, Opera, Christian and Gospel, Electronica, World and Spoken Word.

About MusicNet

MusicNet is the world's leading business-to-business digital music service provider. The top U.S. and global consumer brands private label MusicNet's comprehensive suite of digital music services. MusicNet enables its partners to offer their customers a fully customized experience, including the ability to buy music downloads and subscriptions, choose from more than 2.0 million tracks (the industry's largest catalog of licensed music), explore engaging editorial programming and enjoy an easy-to-use interface. Headquartered in New York, MusicNet is wholly-owned by Baker Capital, a New York-based private equity firm with $1.5 billion under management. For more information, please visit http://www.musicnet.com/.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Fox Cable Networks' action sports channel, FUEL TV, premieres its first original daily series, aptly named "The Daily Habit," a half-hour show that surveys the best in youth culture with today's most popular action sports personalities and cutting-edge music and comedy. Zeke Piestrup (pictured below), a former VH-1 personality and KROQ-FM Los Angeles deejay, hosts the irreverent daily show beginning Monday, October 3 at 9:00pm ET/PT on FUEL TV. Each night's episode will then be re-telecast at 3:00pm ET and 6:00pm ET.

"'The Daily Habit' is the next logical step in our network's evolution," said David Sternberg, FUEL TV General Manager, in making the announcement. "We will now be able to speak to FUEL TV's core viewers every weeknight in primetime about the sports, music, entertainment and cultural trends that matter most to them."

"The Daily Habit" encompasses the world of the action sports enthusiast. Featured daily are celebrity guests, action sports athletes and musicians who are relevant to this rapidly growing audience. The show will highlight new products and music by independent, alternative and hip hop artists. In addition to show host Piestrup, model and actress Brande Roderick (pictured below; "Starsky and Hutch," "Baywatch") joins the show as a "Life Coach" doling out tips and advice for the average guy.

Appearing in the first week's episodes of "The Daily Habit" are Bucky Lasek, the #1 vert skater in America, legendary snowboarder Keir Dillon, recently named one of Outside Magazine's "25 Coolest People Now," free surfer Benji Weatherly, snowboarder Scotty Arnold, and Brad Gerlach, creator of "The Game" surfing competition.

"With the show's daily format, 'The Daily Habit' will be a constant and relevant source of all things action sports and youth culture. We rely on our audience for feedback with everything we do and this will be no different, featuring viewer broadband and wireless interactivity every day," said CJ Olivares, SVP and Assistant General Manager.

Executive producers are FUEL TV's SVP and Assistant General Manager CJ Olivares and VP, Production and Development Scott Paridon; the director is Jennifer L. Goodman.

About FUEL TV:

In a word, FUEL TV is action sports television. Ok that was six words, but you get the point. It's your connection to what's happening in skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, freestyle motocross and wakeboarding. FUEL TV brings you the exclusive stories, unique personalities and the epic moments of action sports. You'll hear new music, get inside riders' heads, catch breaking news first, watch people fall down, get back up and do it all again. Maybe you live it. Maybe you don't. What is the world is coming to? Tune in and see. Launched on July 1, 2003, FUEL TV is seen in nearly 15 million homes. To see if you get FUEL TV, visit www.fuel.tv.

AirG and MTV Launch Interactive Global Mobile Community

AirG Powers Largest Network-Aware Mobile Community in India

VANCOUVER, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- AirG, the global leader in powering mobile communities is partnering with MTV to launch two addictive mobile community applications in India. AirG will power a global friend finder service and private labelled mobile community for MTV India, the country's leading youth entertainment channel. Through these two mobile services, MTV subscribers will be able to connect with some of the most fascinating people from around the world through AirG's established mobile community with 5 million users across 86 mobile operators globally.

"We are pleased to be working with MTV India in powering interactive mobile entertainment that instantly connects MTV's mobile customers with millions of people from around the world through their mobile phones," said Frederick Ghahramani, Director, AirG. "MTV's strong appeal with the youth market is in line with AirG's close affinity with this demographic, as evidenced by our powering popular mobile promotions and tournaments that have proven effective for new customer acquisition and generating recurring revenues for our media and carrier partners."

The MTV Loveline friend finder service is a fun mobile application that introduces mobile users from around the world who are looking for friends via a daily SMS message, and the MTV Loveline mobile community enables MTV mobile users to join into AirG's established global community, where they can flirt, chat and date using a combination of features including IM, presence, picture profiles, and public & private messaging lounges.

"The MTV experience is so much more than what our viewers see on TV... we're on every screen young people are hooked to... we started with the TV screen, then the computer screen, the silver screen, and have also popped up onto the mobile screen. Our partnership with AirG helps us extend our reach by allowing others to avail of the MTV experience," said Vikram Raizada, Vice President, Marketing and Digital, MTV Networks India.

AirG will provide a complete end-to-end mobile community solution for MTV Loveline that is available across multiple wireless platforms and encompasses all application elements including back-end billing integrations, reporting, 24x7x365 live customer support and monitoring, and turnkey promotions and contests.

MTV Loveline mobile services are available to all MTV India mobile customers with a wireless web or Java enabled mobile handset.

About AirG

Founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2000, AirG develops, publishes and distributes a comprehensive suite of cutting edge mobile data solutions including multiplayer games, entertainment and community applications with 24x7x365 live monitoring. AirG products and services have a proven track record of helping mobile operators build competitive advantage and market leadership by increasing customer affinity and ARPU (Average Revenue per User). AirG has licensed its products and services to 86 mobile operators in 33 countries worldwide. www.airg.com

About MTV India

MTV India is a 24-hour music channel that caters to young Indians between the ages of 15-34. MTV India has over 64 sponsors, more than 300 brands and India specific shows hosted by Indian VJs. MTV India's play list consists of 80% Indian music (film & pop) and 20% international music. MTV India is one of MTV Networks' 31 international music channels, transmitted via PanAmSat 10, created exclusively for India. MTV India is received in over 23.5 million homes in India via cable.

Groove Mobile Rated #1 Mobile Music Service In UK

ANDOVER, Mass., Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Groove Mobile, the world's leading mobile music platform, was rated the UK's #1 mobile music download service in an independent study conducted by Strategy Analytics. The comprehensive study of mobile music customers rated Groove Mobile number one in five of six categories, including Speed of Download, Speed of Portal Navigation and Clarity of Catalog Interface. Overall, the study labeled the Groove Mobile platform "Best in Class."(1)

"Groove Mobile enables the best music discovery experience in the wireless space," said Adam Sexton, Groove Mobile Vice President, Marketing and Product Management. "That's what music fans want and that's why Groove Mobile provides the fastest downloads and best user interface available to mobile music customers."

The study of UK mobile music customers compared the UK's top three mobile music services in six categories: Speed of Download, Speed of Portal Navigation, Ease to Discover Music Player, Ease of Finding Track, Ease to Download Track, and Clarity of Catalog Interface. Groove Mobile placed first, by wide margins, in five of six categories. And in the Overall Rating, Groove Mobile scored 11 points higher than the next closest competitor and almost 20 points higher than the third ranked service. In addition, in the one category Groove Mobile did not lead -- Ease to Discover Music Player -- the Strategy Analytics report noted this may have been caused by the handset used in the study not Groove Mobile's technology platform.

Groove Mobile's emphasis on the listening experience and customer satisfaction places it at the forefront of the mobile music download sector. In a series of industry firsts, Groove Mobile has led the mobile music sector with several major innovations in 2005. These have included "Tell-a-Friend," a P2P text messaging of song clips and "Discover HITS," a push technology that updates music fans of the latest new releases from their favorite bands and others. In addition, Groove Mobile added the legendary independent music label, Beggars Group, to a roster of music labels that already included Universal, Sony BMG, EMI, and Warner.

Groove Mobile's sector leading global footprint will continue to expand when it launches with a major US mobile carrier in the fourth quarter of 2005. Copies of the Strategy Analytics mobile music service evaluation are available for purchase by contacting Strategy Analytics, http://www.strategyanalytics.net/ or 1.617.614.0700 (North America) or +44.1908.423.600 (Europe).

ABOUT GROOVE MOBILE

Groove Mobile is the world's leading provider of full-track mobile music download services. Groove Mobile's turnkey solutions enable mobile operators to offer their customers a compelling music experience directly to their mobile phones. With an end-to-end software solution that fully integrates into each mobile network operator's billing system, Groove Mobile offers the opportunity for carriers to increase their average revenue per customer. Groove Mobile's direct download service is available in 6 countries and provides access to music from EMI, Warner Music International, V2 and Beggars Group libraries. On the Internet, Groove Mobile is located at www.groovemobile.net.

9/26/2005

Platform Learning to Sponsor Book Tour of Hip Hop Business Executive Kevin Liles

Partnership to Focus National Attention On Educational Company's Campaign for Achievement Aimed at Motivating Students

Book Tour Launch Party in New York City, Monday, Sept. 26

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Platform Learning Inc., the nation's leading provider of tutoring services for students attending underperforming public schools, announced Monday its sponsorship of the 17-city "Make It Happen" book tour of influential music executive Kevin Liles launching this week in New York.

Liles, the current executive vice president of Warner Music Group, is the highest-ranking African American in the music business and is widely credited with providing the brand management direction that led to the mercurial expansion of Def Jam Records from a small, independent label into a $400 million superstar making business.

In less than 10 years, Liles rose from an intern to president of the label. He chronicles his rise to prominence and offers motivational advice for life success in his newly published "Make It Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success" (Atria Books; September 27, 2005; $24.00; 0-7434-9736-8; Hardcover).

"Kevin is an inspiration to the more than 50,000 young people we service across the country," said Gene Wade, chairman and CEO of New York-based Platform Learning. "Through our involvement with Kevin we hope to show young people that through dedicated hard work and a commitment to excellence, they will be successful in school and in life," Wade said.

"We understand that highly successful and visible business leaders from the communities we serve, like Kevin, are unique," Wade said. "It is even more unique for them to take the initiative to write a book emphasizing education and hard work as the keys to success. Given this, we are excited to support Kevin's effort," he said. After the tour, Liles has agreed to serve as the chairman of Platform Learning's parent mobilization effort.

Collaborating with Crain's New York Business senior staff reporter Samantha Marshall, Liles outlines his fresh approach to success and the "Ten Rules for Making It Happen" that have served him well. Speaking directly to young people hungry for success, he provides clear-sighted advice that stresses determination, hard work and being true to your dream.

"Every real success story in Hip Hop comes down to the same thing: someone who finds the will, focus and drive to achieve," Liles said. "It doesn't matter if you are male or female. It doesn't matter what race or religion you are. It doesn't even matter what hustle you choose." What does matter, Liles said, is that you fight against the odds to realize a dream and be the best that you can be.

While conceding there is no single route to achievement, Liles stresses the importance of education -- both formal schooling and what you can learn from the school of life.

He also points out that struggle is inevitable and the greatest teacher. Once you've gotten your foot in the door you need to Play Your Position (Rule #5), doing what is expected of you, no matter how humble it might seem. Liles himself recounts his hours spent mopping down floors for concerts and the small indignities he put up with from executives and artists as he worked his way up the ladder.

Wade, 36, himself, grew up in public housing in Boston, Mass. Having learned the rules for Making It Happen throughout his youth, he attended Morehouse College, Harvard Law School and The Wharton School. He then raised venture capital to start and fund his first business, LearnNow Inc., a charter school management company which he developed in less than two years from a startup to a company with 250 employees serving more than 6,000 students in 11 schools in four states.

Platform Learning, formed in 2003, is a national provider of supplemental educational services (SES) -- after-school, weekend and summer tutoring programs, free of charge -- to more than 50,000 public school students across the country whose schools have tested poorly and "are in need of improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

"We collaborate with parents, schools, community organizations, and local educators to not only tutor students but to raise their expectations about what is possible," Wade said. "Our proven, Believe. Achieve. Succeed.(SM), approach helps students gain self-confidence, while improving their academic skills," he said.

Besides New York City, the "Make It Happen" tour will also visit Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco among others. Liles and Wade will join local civic and school officials to recognize outstanding students who are "making it happen" in selected cities of the tour.

"One important measure of Platform Learning's success is whether we can create thousands of more Kevin Liles," Wade said.

The book release party Monday will be hosted by Russell Simmons, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Lyor Cohen, Judith Curr, Gayle King and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. at Firmenich's International Fine Fragrance creative studio in New York at 7 p.m.

For information contact Alonza Robertson at 202.390.8521 or Alonza@westinrinehart.com. For more information about Platform Learning, please visit http://www.platformlearning.com/ .

Hip Hop Rap Artist Cappadonna Of The Wu-Tang Clan Presents New Album

Hip Hop/Rap artist Cappadonna of the Wu-tang clan is set to release a new album "The Transition"

www.wu-international.com -- (ArriveNet - Sep 26, 2005) -- He is known as Cappachino The Great and Donna Cappa Goines, Cappadonna first emerged in 1995, spitting serious darts on "Ice Cream" and "Ice Water" from Raekwon's classic Only Built For Cuban Linx.... The following year he dropped an excellent (and hard to find) 12" called "Drastic Measures." He lent sizzling verses on "Wu-Wear" and "Winter Warz," (from the soundtracks of High School High and Don't Be A Menace...,) and also contributed to several tracks on Ghostface's classic debut Ironman. Known for his colorful slang and dedication to staying dipped, Cappa represented on both Wu Tang Forever and The W. He released his first solo album, The Pillage in '98, The Yin , The Yang followed in '01 , The Struggle '03 and soon to be released The Transition. For most true ghetto-raised and respected emcees that have sipped from the cup of international success...

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B), and Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) today announced an unprecedented global licensing agreement for the use of music videos from Warner Music Group's world-renowned record labels in original mobile programming developed by MTV Networks' leading music and entertainment brands.

Effective immediately across the globe, the agreement allows MTV Networks (MTVN) to create and distribute new short-form video content for mobile devices that contains audiovisual excerpts from Warner Music Group's music video catalog of emerging stars and legendary artists, including Sean Paul, Twista, Green Day, Big & Rich and Maná.

This represents the first global agreement of its kind between a media company and music label that covers programming on mobile networks. Today, MTV Networks is the only media company to which WMG has licensed its global music video roster to create original programming for the wireless space.

"Today's digital age has created a new world in the music industry, one that requires innovative thinking about the way business has to be done to meet the evolving needs and demands of our audiences," said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks. "I want to thank Warner Music for pioneering change in the industry, and in so doing, providing us both with a way to bring more music to more fans across the globe. This is a great leap forward in the evolution of our mobile video strategy, and we look forward to developing more exciting initiatives in this space over the year to come."

"This is a highly unique and exciting relationship, one that helps us realize the full potential of our music video assets while giving Warner Music's emerging and established artists new platforms for reaching more of their fans on a global scale," said Edgar Bronfman Jr., Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group. "MTV Networks' fantastic programming expertise, its roster of world famous music and entertainment brands and its important demographics in the wireless space make them an ideal partner for taking the mobile entertainment experience to the next level and helping more of our audiences connect with the music they love."

Original mobile video content and programming developed by MTV Networks and featuring music video content from WMG will be available for mobile devices globally via streamed and downloaded video on-demand formats across the company's brands and wireless sub-brands, including MTV, MTV2, MTV Español, mtvU, VH1, CMT and LOGO as well as its international brands VIVA, TMF (The Music Factory) and Flux. How consumers purchase the content is determined by the carrier in each market and can include both subscription and a la carte pricing.

Content will include short mobile programming derived from popular cable network shows, such as VH1's "Driven" and "You Oughta Know," CMT's "CMT Insider" and "Studio 330," as well as made-for-mobile content from MTV Networks' broadband programming such as "Box Set" on VH1's VSpot.

Outside the US, this deal opens the door to showcasing Warner Music artists via MTV Networks International's mobile video distribution deals, which account for more than two-thirds of the world's video-enabled handsets via networks that reach 400 million subscribers across Europe, Asia and Latin America. In total, MTV Networks International's brands are available to 670 million mobile subscribers outside the US.

New programming for international mobile audiences will include "Spotlight" -- an original mobile video package franchise launching this Fall within international mobile television and on-demand video services. The video packages will feature specific artists reflecting on their careers, their music and upcoming activities. The first packages will feature Warner Music artists, including Sean Paul, Daniel Powter and David Gray.

About Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group (WMG) became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Bad Boy, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire, operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms, with 111 channels, 94 Web sites reaching 167 countries and territories worldwide. MTV Networks owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, LOGO, Paramount Comedy Channel, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Game One, Flux and a host of other digital channel brands worldwide, including a package of 13 digital services in the United States. All of these networks are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses as well as through more than 50 mobile video platforms worldwide and dozens of broadband and interactive television services. The company also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Emmy(R) Award Winning MobiTV Unveils MobiTV2(R) and MobiRadio(TM)

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- MobiTV(R), the global leader in live mobile television services, today introduced MobiTV2(R), a breakthrough, integrated way to access and enjoy live television, video on-demand, made-for-mobile content and radio on mobile handsets. MobiTV2 features the next generation of its Emmy(R) award winning live TV service and MobiRadio(TM), a new radio service with more than 50 channels of commercial free digital music. The new platform was designed to take full advantage of the latest mobile phones and high-speed wireless networks, offering carriers a unified interface for the seamless delivery of all types of digital content. MobiTV2 features a new intuitive programming guide combined with dramatically improved audio and video quality.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050926/SFM086 )

MobiTV also announced breaking the half million subscriber milestone, demonstrating strong consumer demand for its mobile television service. Recent distribution expansion in Canada, the United Kingdom and Latin America has fueled accelerated growth and firmly establishes MobiTV as the defacto leader in the mobile media space.

"We live in an on-the-go world where consumer demand for digital media is skyrocketing. MobiTV2 transforms your mobile phone into a portable entertainment center," said MobiTV CEO and Co-founder, Phillip Alvelda. "With MobiTV2, we've set a new gold standard, designing it to take advantage of the new 3G and broadcast networks and redefining the customer experience for live mobile television. When we first launched MobiTV two years ago, the service ran at about 1 -2 frames per second. Today, with MobiTV2, we've dramatically improved the level of viewing quality, delivering something as close to traditional television as you can get on a handset at 15 - 20 frames per second. With networks and handsets improving every quarter, just wait for next year!"

MobiTV2 provides carriers with the ability to cross-sell within the application, offer premium programming packages, and integrate with location platforms for delivery of location-sensitive content such as local television stations and professional sports which require regional blackouts. For consumers, MobiTV2 makes it easy to discover and manage television and music content on your mobile phone. It features the following enhancements:

-- The next generation MobiTV Mobile Television Service delivers high quality TV with a new graphical program and channel guide so you can check out what's on and when and select whatever you want to watch. Premium channel offerings will be displayed and can be purchased with a couple clicks from within the channel guide. Customers can also sign up to receive SMS alerts of breaking news and new content. MobiTV2 integrates video on demand with live television channels and has more than 25 channels of top tier branded TV content. The service has been optimized to deliver a high quality viewing experience on both 2.5G and 3G networks. -- MobiRadio includes 50 channels of commercial free, high-quality, digital radio organized by genres such as 80's, Rock, Hip Hop, Electronica, Country and more. MobiRadio also features album art, artist information and enables carriers to offer consumers ring tone purchase from within the MobiTV2 client application. -- Seamless integration and organization of digital content and user experience across multiple networks, an integrated, intuitive interface for easy access and organization to digital content -- live television, video on demand and radio. -- Integration with carrier location based services, a critical enabler for delivery of sports packages, local weather, traffic and news. -- Personalization enables carriers and consumers to customize their player with a broad choice of skins.

Nearly two years since its launch, MobiTV continues to lead the market and has quickly become the television standard on mobile devices. The service is now available on multiple carriers in the US and has recently expanded to carriers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Caribbean, and Latin America. By partnering with leading wireless carriers and TV content brands to deliver a variety of news, sports and entertainment channels, the MobiTV service has become an unequivocal success, with more than 500,000 subscribers. The service currently offers both live and made-for-mobile content content from over 35 content providers on three continents. The service is as easy to use as a TV remote control and works with over 50 different phones across multiple wireless network technologies.

About MobiTV

MobiTV, Inc. (formerly known as Idetic, Inc.) is the first global television and radio network targeted at reaching the 2 billion mobile phone and handset users worldwide. The Emmy award winning MobiTV(R) service is available in the US through Sprint, Cingular and several regional carriers; in the United Kingdom through Orange UK; and is now available to Canadian customers through Rogers, Bell Mobility and Telus. The service offers many popular TV channels from content providers such as MSNBC, ABC News Now, Fox Sports, ESPN 3GTV, NBC Mobile, CNBC, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, The Weather Channel, Comedy Time, California Music Channel, Major League Baseball and others including country-specific channels outside the United States. Founded in 1999, MobiTV is a privately-held company headquartered in Berkeley, CA. The MobiTV Service has been recognized by the International Broadcasting Convention as Best of Show for 2005. For more information on the company, its products or technology, visit www.mobitv.com.

NOTE: MobiTV and the MobiTV logo are trademarks, service marks, and/or registered trademarks of MobiTV, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and product names used herein are the property of their respective owners. Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050926/SFM086AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Warren G Shows He's Got 'It' More Than Ever With New Album and New PR Firm

'It' Girl PR Signs Warren for His Fifth Album IN THE MID-NITE HOUR

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- "It" girl public relations signs Warren G as he gears up for the much anticipated release of his fifth album, IN THE MID-NITE HOUR, the latest incarnation of the G Funk era from the legendary hip-hop artist/producer Warren G, and his first studio album in four years. Leading off the set is the poignant first single, "Get U Down," featuring G with Cypress Hill's B Real and Watts-based soul singers Side Effect. The still rising first single tackles a myriad of issues, from black-on-brown violence in Los Angeles to our military entanglements in the Middle East. A special version, "Get U Down Part 2" features a dedication to Hurricane Katrina victims and guest spots by Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. Details are being worked out so that proceeds from various downloads of "Part 2" will go to the Red Cross to help Katrina aid relief efforts.

Hawino Records, Wron G, and Warren G signed "It" Girl PR to help launch the release of IN THE MID-NITE HOUR in October due to their strong presence in the music industry. In addition, "It" Girl PR will be driving press coverage of the video shoot for the first single, "Get U Down" featuring Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and B Real.

"Warren G is a master of his craft," says CEO Juliette Harris, owner of "It" Girl Public Relations. "It is our firm's goal to deliver Warren G's vision of raising the level of social consciousness through music and celebrity elements, while uniting the rap industry."

For press and client inquiries please contact "it" girl public relations at 310.577.1122 or visit www.itgirlpublicrelations.com for more information.

ESPOO, Finland, September 26/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the world leader in mobility, today introduced "Nokia XpressMusic", a dedicated feature brand that makes it easy for consumers to identify Nokia's growing portfolio of music-optimized mobile devices. Each mobile device with Nokia XpressMusic shares key features that ensure the best mobile music experience, including dedicated music key(s), music pause/resume on incoming calls, support for 3.5 mm connectors and extended battery life for easy and convenient music listening. The announcement coincides with the introduction of the Nokia 3250, Nokia's second music optimized device, featuring dedicated music keys, over-the-air music downloading and up to 1GB of expandable memory. The Nokia XpressMusic logo will begin appearing on sales packages and promotion materials for music-optimized Nokia devices starting with the shipment of the Nokia N91 and Nokia 3250.

"Nokia has blazed a trail for music on mobiles - from personalized ringing tones to integrated FM radios and MP3 support. This year, Nokia has announced two full-featured, music-optimized mobile devices - ranging from the Nokia N91 mobile jukebox, which features 4GB of music storage, to the Nokia 3250 music phone introduced today," said Jonas Geust, Vice President, Music, Nokia. "The Nokia XpressMusic feature brand makes it easier for consumers to identify those Nokia devices which provide a great quality mobile music experience."

In 2004, Nokia sold more than 10 million mobile phones with an integrated digital music player. In 2005, Nokia expects that number to exceed 40 million. Nokia has introduced a range of music-enabled devices with expandable memory capacity, allowing consumers to listen to their favourite music on a single device they carry with them wherever they go - their mobile phone. Additionally, Nokia's music-enabled devices enable consumers to download music spontaneously over-the-air, in addition to transferring music files from their PC.

To warrant the Nokia XpressMusic mark, the device must meet a number of music-specific criteria, including:

- Great audio quality

- Dedicated key(s) for fast and easy access to the music collection

- Play, talk and play - music pauses when a call comes in, resumes when the call has ended

- Use any headphones for listening with standard 3.5mm jack

- Extended battery time (minimum of 10 hours for music)

- Substantial storage for large number of songs

- Create and edit playlists on the go

- USB 2.0 support for fast and easy transfer of your music

- Wide support of audio formats, including MP3, M4A, WMA, AAC and eAAC+

- Easy access to over-the-air music downloads

About Nokia

Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

www.nokia.com

For visuals of the Nokia XpressMusic logo, please visit www.nokia.com/press

Editor's note:

Kai Oistamo, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, will host an audiocast for members of the media on Monday, September 26 at 14:15 to 15.00 Finnish time to discuss the Nokia 3250 and the Nokia XpressMusic feature brand.

To access the audiocast, please dial: +44 (0) 1452 562 716

Accompanying visuals to the audiocast will be available through: www.nokia.com/press/26092005pressconference

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The MTV/Hip Hop Generation, which is indoctrinated in electronic and non-melodious music, has placed classical music and jazz in "grave" danger according to trombonist Gregory Charles Royal, an alumnus of the Grammy Award winning Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Royal, artistic director of the American Youth Symphony (AYS) in Washington, DC says that the growth in Hip Hop and MTV has resulted in a 30- and- under generation with no appreciation of traditional music. In fact, Royal has written a play about the subject, which was a New York JVC Jazz Festival Special Event. The play is available free on DVD at http://www.hardboplife.com/.

"If you consider that the vast amount of college graduates over the past few years don't even register in their consciousness the sound of a cello, clarinet, French horn or flute, how can you even begin to expect them to appreciate traditional forms of music, not to mention going out and actually purchasing a ticket?" says Royal, who has lectured on American music at colleges and universities.

Royal says that the lack of general music education in the schools and the misuse of technology that allows young artists to bypass musical skill have provided what he calls the "nail in the coffin."

"The fact that the under-30 generation can call Rap records "songs," even though the vast majority of them have no melody, is a barometer of how far musical standards have fallen," says Royal, who holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Howard University.

"We in the artistic community must make up lost ground for our abandonment and lack of guidance of this generation. We must partner with Hip Hop artists and labels to lobby them to utilize acoustic instruments. We must also persuade organizations interested in the preservation of traditional music, like the Knight Foundation, to offer grants to Hip Hop producers that choose to use real instruments in their music. We have to get acoustic sounds back in the marketplace," says Susan Veres, Executive Director of AYS.

The Real Hip Hop Network, the Millions More Movement Youth Committee, UNIFI, Inc., the New Black Panther Party, Urban Intalek Recording Studio and WPFW 89.3's "The Lab" Hip Hop Show have joined forces to mobilize the youth in preparation for the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Million Man March to be held on October 15 in Washington, DC on the National Mall.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 26, 2005 -- The Real Hip Hop Network, the Millions More Movement Youth Committee, UNIFI, Inc., the New Black Panther Party, Urban Intalek Recording Studio and WPFW 89.3's "The Lab Hip Hop Show" have joined forces to mobilize the youth in preparation for the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Million Man March to be held on October 15 in Washington, DC on the National Mall.

The MMM Youth Rally will be hosted by Urban Intalek Recording Studio's DJ D'Salaam, WPFW 89.3's "The Lab" Hip Hop Show and Kenny Wray from Jay Z's "Blueprint Vol.1" album. The evening will include power-packed performances by: Hueman Prophets, SuddahCain, Christylez and Messiah. Special invited guests include: Amanda Stephenson, founder of UNIFI, Inc., Doshon Farad, National Assistant to Atty. Malik Zulu Shabazz and the New Black Panther Party, and Minister Michael Muhammad, National Youth Minister for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Special guest appearance by: Raz-B of B2K. More special guests to be announced.

XA to Produce VH1 Hip Hop Honors Event on September 20, 2005

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- XA, Inc., (XA) (OTC BB:XAIN.OB - News), a major national event marketing firm that serves many Fortune 500 companies, reported today that it has been selected as agency of record to produce the VH1 Hip Hop Honors Pre-Party at Splashlight Studios in New York City on Sept. 20, 2005.

XA will provide all the decor and audio visual elements for this event, which is the kick off for VH1 Hip Hop Awards slated for later that evening.

Marketers spent $152 billion in event marketing in 2003, up about 15% since 2002. In 2003, budgets for event marketing reached an average of $901,935, according to PROMO's 2004 Event Marketing Study. (Source: PROMO Magazine, Jan. 1, 2005)

About XA

XA is a holding company for several wholly owned subsidiaries, one of which is The Experiential Agency, Inc., an Illinois corporation. The Experiential Agency, Inc. has offices in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles from which it provides corporations and highly visible brands with comprehensive event marketing, design and production services. Since 1989, the XA team has been the creative force behind prestigious, national projects for such clients as The NBA, Disney, McDonald's, British Telecom, Song Airlines, Eurex, Olympus, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vogue, W Hotels, ABN AMRO and Emirates Airline. In 2003 and 2004, Special Events Magazine ranked XA as one of the ``Top 50 Powerhouse Event Companies in the World.''

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words ``believes,'' ``expects,'' ``intends,'' ``will,'' ``anticipated,'' or ``may,'' and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. It is possible that the assumptions made by management are not necessarily the most likely and may not materialize. In addition, other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the following: business conditions and the amount of growth in the company's industry and general economy; competitive factors; ability to attract and retain personnel; the price of the company's stock; and the risk factors set forth from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including but not limited to its annual report on Form 10-KSB; its quarterly reports on Forms 10-QSB; and any reports on Form 8-K. XA, Inc. (OTC BB:XAIN.OB - News) takes no obligation to update or correct forward-looking statements and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that is not paid for by the Company.

9/25/2005

C.O.M.P. Composing a 15-City Media Tour for His Highly Anticipated Launch of "BASS" the Single

C.O.M.P. "Clever on Many Perspectives" 15-city east coast media tour scheduled for mid-November 2005. New Record Label, New Perspective.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) September 25, 2005 -- B-Mores own C.O.M.P. hip-hop heavy weight will do his thing again. C.O.M.P. (Jordon McElveen) has been in the studio all summer composing his new album under a new record label; A-GAME Entertainment. His highly anticipated album and single release BASS will be released winter 2005.

C.O.M.P.s compilations for this new album include the single release, BASS, accompanied by OFFICIAL and INFO. As the hip-hop community knows, C.O.M.P.s unbreakable confidence fueled by the desire to make it is made present on this new album. Not since the Notorious B.I.G. has such a direct point of expression been witnessed. Many people ask, What does C.O.M.P. stand for? It is an acronym meaning, Clever on Many Perspectives. That is defiantly apparent on this new album.

This multi-talented artist teamed up with Ghostface Killah and Jadakiss in Run which tells the true tale of the inner city and law enforcement. C.O.M.P. Do Something featured on the soundtrack for the movie Cradle to the Grave, sold over 50 million copies. The composer also has to his credits, Rollin featured on the Johnson Family Vacation soundtrack. Leaving no stone unturned C.O.M.P. has infiltrated the gaming industry with Playstation2 Video Game titled, Def Jam Vendetta and has opened up for 50 Cent on the Valentines Day Tour.

C.O.M.P. has composed a hip-hop symphony for all audiences to enjoy and rejoice. C.O.M.P.s style touches on what is real in the entertainment industry and what is real to be a superstar. Rapping about clothes, jewelry and hos is not what this nineteen year old rap heavy weight is all about. His messages and lyrics are written to inspire young rap artists and the hip-hop culture with flair that can only be described as, Insightful.

C.O.M.P.s highly anticipated single release BASS media tour is slated to begin in mid-November 2005 in Miami, Florida and end in Bridgeport, Connecticut. C.O.M.P. will make special appearances with leading urban radio stations, rap to the press and reach out to youth with disabilities.

Ketruth Presents City Rhymes DVD

London, England - September, 1 2005 - London City's unsigned need a platform to be seen and heard. Numerous talents within the UK never often get right exposure. City rhymes DVD is a platform where various acts could speak on music issues, London struggles and their views on the industry, also defining garage to hip hop music created in London which often get mistaken for each other to a&r's and often blurred to audiences oversees. It will also be a platform for each individual to demonstrate their skills and also give viewers a sense of their personalities. The final product on DVD format will be obtainable online and in various cd/dvd outlets in the UK. It shall be a good medium to invest in other creative youth projects coming out of London in the future. London is an uprising city filled with many voices and it is time for these voices to be heard and represented internationally. The DVD will also have Exclusive US collaborators

City Rhymes is open to sponsors

Those interested in booking participating talents for shows or other media/music interests once DVD is released will be free to do so by simply emailing cityrhymesdvd@yahoo.co.uk, please clearly state name of talent interested in and all messages shall be forwarded on.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Achieve GOLD status

Chopped & Screwed edition in stores November 1st

Bone Thugs N Harmony have achieved GOLD status on their Greatest Hits double cd with over 340,000 units sold!! In addition, the group is on their way to GOLD status with the Bone Thugs Greatest Video Hits DVD -- having shipped over 50,000 units to stores nationwide!!

After years of little activity, Bone Thugs returned with a vengeance in 2004 and 2005. With releases by Bizzy and Krayzie, the Bone Brothers (Bizzy and Layzie), and Layzie Bones solo debut Its Not A Game.

On November 1st, Bone Thug fans will receive a special treat, when the group releases Bone Thugs N Harmonys "Greatest Hits": Chopped & Screwed.

Bone Thugs have teamed up with the hottest screw music DJ in the game, SwishaHouse producer Michael 5000 Watts, to present: Bone Thugs N Harmonys Greatest Hits: Chopped & Screwed. Michael 5000 Watts is hotter than fish grease. The Houston-based dee-jay is the certified hit-master of Houstons own Screw Music scene. Watts produced major hits for some of 2005s hottest acts including Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and Slim Thug.

He is also best known for his chopped and screwed mixtapes by which he takes current hip-hop and R&B hits and remixes them to a super-slowed down pace that allows southern playas to floss in their vintage rides and club-goers to get their grind on up in the danceclub.

Now its BTNHs turn to slow it down to a sweet Texas drawl. Michael Watts has blessed this double CD with over twenty chopped and screwed remixes of virtually all of the multi-platinum groups hottest songs titles.

Some of the more notable remixes include 1st Of The Month, Foe The Love of $ and the award-winning song, Tha Crossroads. The double CD also contains several of the groups amazing collaborations, including Thug Luv (featuring Tupac) and Notorious Thugs (featuring Notorious B.I.G.). All chopped and screwed by Swishahouses Michael 5000 Watts.

Warner Music Group (WMG) became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Bad Boy, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. For more information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate website at http://www.wmg.com/.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms, with 111 channels and 94 web sites reaching 167 territories worldwide. MTV Networks owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, LOGO, as well as international brands TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Game One, Paramount Comedy Channel, Flux, and a host of other digital channel brands worldwide, including a package of 13 digital services in the United States. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its extensive interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of anticipation and the promise of great expectations, The Second Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors, taped in New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night for air on Monday, September 26 at *9:00 PM/ET, more than lived up to its hype.

The annual broadcast, hosted this year by the impressive duo of brothers Russell Simmons and Reverend Run, got off to a hip hopping start when Grammy award winner Nelly took to the stage in full old school regalia of Puma sweat suit and KangoL hat to pay homage to honoree LL Cool J with a performance of the honoree's popular hit, "I'm Bad." The sultry Ciara came out "Jinglin' Baby" and "Doin It" with Nelly while LL Cool J proved why Ladies really Love Cool J. The sexy actor/rapper, donned momentarily in funky designer sweats and KangoL, performed a powerful rendition of his award winning "Momma Said Knock You Out," bare-chested.

The West Coast represented and kept it rockin' as honoree Ice T, joined by "homie" Snoop Dogg, performed a medley of the Law and Order SUV actor's hits, "Six N The Morning," "Original Gangster," "New Jack Hustler," and "Colors." The "original gangster," who once spewed unpalatable lyrics about the police and now plays one on television sums up his ironic career path simply as "being the ultimate pimp and playing the pimp game at its finest."

Honoree Grand Master Flash, joined by DJs Jazzy Jeff and Kid Capri gave a lesson in "scratchology" as they played a version of musical chairs with turntables. The hot act continued with Fat Joe, DF Disco B and Dr EZ Mike joining Flash and The Furious Five to perform their hits "Frisco Disco," "Goodtimes," "Seven Minutes of Funk," and the party rockin' "Dance to the Beat."

If it seemed hip hop was all about the fellas, that opinion quickly changed when a feminine brigade brought pulchritude to the stage. The vivacious Eve, followed by the curvaceous Queen Latifah paid tribute to honorees Salt N Pepa and the sexy trio wasted no time getting temperatures rising. They set off the reunion of the night as they joined the original members of En Vogue for the girl groups' first ever-public performance of their respective 1993 chart- topping hit, "Whatta Man," backed by The Roots. The sensual number firmly heightened the testosterone levels and gave new meaning to hip-hop.

Among the evening's seismic performances were humorous outtakes from the brothers Simmons' promo shoot, a dance party performance by It rapper Kanye West of his popular "Golddigger," and a solid tribute, presented by Spike Lee to honoree John Singleton's revolutionary film, "Boyz N The Hood." Actress Nia Long, presenter and one of the stars of the 1991 film, was overheard asking a sheepish Singleton why he had not cast her in any of his other films since.

Without peer, the prodigious performance of the night belonged to honoree and original hip hop playboy, Big Daddy Kane. With a little help from DJ Biz Markie and The Roots, and performances of his hits from T.I., "Smooth Operator," Common, "Raw," and Tarik, "Set It Off," Kane exploded onto the stage with his two original dancers, Scoob & Scrap to give an electrifying performance of his "Warm It Up." Truly reminiscent of what hip hop once was, Kane and his dancers brought old school hip hop dance moves back to life with flips and splits that worked the crowd into a frenzy, garnered an enthusiastic standing ovation from his fellow honorees, and left the audience wanting more, as a true play boy often does.

The evening ended with a moving tribute to the late Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace from Diddy and performances of his songs "A Dream," by former wife, Faith Evans and Ludracris, "One More Chance," by Faith and Lil Cease, and "Hypnotize," from Kanye West and a forty-member gospel choir. Mrs. Voletta Wallace, mother of the late rapper proudly proclaimed her favorite "Biggie" tune to be "One More Chance," because everyone, she felt, "deserves that much." His young son, Christopher, Jr. simply offered, "My Dad was a legend; I love him."

VH1 "Get Up Stand Up," in collaboration with Mercy Corps, will help carry out short term and long term Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The campaign kicked-off at VH1's 2nd Annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." Donations were collected during the "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" red carpet and artists dropped off specified relief items at a 68-foot trailer that was stationed outside of the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

Go now to vh1.com for artist and music information and check soon for interactive honoree profiles, exclusive programming, show information and more.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" are executive produced by Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for Blacjac Entertainment. Louis J. Horvitz will direct. Nelson George and Fab 5 Freddy are consulting producers.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in over 87 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH Uno and VH1 Country. Connect with VH1 at http://www.vh1.com/.

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